Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday faced protests during a visit to the Kalighat Temple in south Kolkata. Demonstrators showed black flags and shouted “go back” slogans as CEC Kumar arrived at the temple.
Police personnel present at the site intervened and brought the situation under control, allowing him to continue with his visit.
Protestors raise slogans of “Gyanesh Kumar Go Back” during CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s visit at Kalighat temple in Kolkata, West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/CqEi3KAYot https://t.co/IbjoOT9qQy
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Similar Demonstrations At Airport
Protests had also taken place on Sunday night when Gyanesh Kumar arrived in the city. As his convoy exited the airport, workers of the All India Trinamool Congress raised “go back” slogans.
Black flags were again shown to the CEC when his convoy passed through the Kaikhali area along the VIP Road. Activists belonging to Left parties also staged demonstrations outside the airport, adding to tensions in the area, PTI reported.
Police said the situation was handled promptly and prevented from escalating.
CEC’s Kolkata Visit Ahead Of Bengal Assembly Elections
Officials said adequate security arrangements have been made for Kumar’s three-day visit to the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The Chief Election Commissioner is visiting along with Election Commissioners S. S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi to review election preparedness.
Later in the day, the full bench of the Election Commission of India is scheduled to meet recognised national and state political parties to hear their concerns and suggestions regarding the conduct of the elections.
The team will also hold interactions with nodal officers of enforcement agencies and conduct a detailed review meeting with senior police and administrative officials.
Officials said the discussions are expected to focus on law and order arrangements, deployment planning and coordination among enforcement agencies ahead of the polls.
Final Day Meetings Scheduled
On Tuesday, the final day of the visit, the EC delegation will meet the state’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal and the CAPF nodal officer.
Kumar and the commission’s team will also interact with booth-level officers before addressing a press conference and concluding their visit to the city.
