‘In Bengal, today, apart from these four, the 5th M is the Misuse of Official Power.’
The Election Commission of India, tasked to conduct the world’s largest democratic exercise, is trying its hardest to have free and fair polls while it battles the “4Ms” that threaten democracy. 4M is the term coined by the Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar, who identified the four major problems that affect India’s free and fair elections. These are the 4Ms: Muscle power, Money power, Misinformation, and violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
“In Bengal, today, apart from these four, the 5th M is the Misuse of Official Power by the ruling party,” says Biswanath Chakraborty, professor of political science at Rabindra Bharati University. “This misuse starts very early and compromises the very spirit of the election process. In this year’s Lok Sabha elections, two IPS officers who resigned just weeks back are contesting the elections for the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, respectively. These officers, who had taken an oath on the Constitution to work impartially, how can they suddenly, one fine day, become partisan? Or is it that they were never impartial to begin with and that they are only being rewarded now for their services?” he asks.
Debashis Dhar, a former IPS officer who resigned after being sidelined by the Mamata Banerjee government after the 2021 Assembly elections and is now the BJP’s candidate from Birbhum, says: “The fact is that the state is run by a coterie of 7-8 IAS and IPS officers who are just there to do the Chief Minister’s bidding with no regard to their Constitutional duties. Their only aim is to misuse official power to help the ruling party.”
To tackle muscle power in Bengal elections, the Election Commission is deploying 920 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF)—highest among all states—for the Lok Sabha elections. More than 100 companies have landed in West Bengal and are conducting route marches and getting familiar with the terrain. The task is huge, because the poll panel has already declared all 42 seats in Bengal to be “super-sensitive”, and hence require close monitoring.
Election Commission sources said that they were keeping a close watch on the constituencies which all have their own local strongmen calling the shots. “The Trinamool’s strongmen are quite well-known. Showkat Mollah, Arabul Islam in Bhangar and Diamond Harbour. Birbhum had its Anubrata Mondal and Sandeshkhali had Sheikh Shahjahan, both of whom are now in jail. Barrackpur’s Arjun Singh is another one who keeps changing sides from the Trinamool to the BJP and vice versa, and now is back in BJP and takes his musclemen along with him.”
“You can judge their importance by the whole-hearted support that Mamata Banerjee gave to these people whenever they faced problems with the law enforcement agencies. She called both Anubrata and Sheikh Shahjahan ‘tigers’ after they were arrested and stood by them. They are important because they loot the votes of the common people,” said Rajarshi Lahiri, BJP state spokesperson.
Observers say money power and muscle power are blood brothers in Bengal.
“Crores of rupees are being spent on elections. This is not only to buy votes, but to buy muscle power as well. Both the BJP and the Trinamool Congress are flush with funds. The electoral bonds issue has clearly shown how these parties make money. Now they are using that money and all the money that the ruling party looted from the people,” said Left Front chairman Biman Bose.
“How else can you explain the hundreds of SUVs, the elaborate arrangements that the Trinamool is pressing into the campaign? asks Md. Selim, CPIM state Secretary who is contesting from Murshidabad.
Tarunjyoti Tiwari, BJP youth wing leader and advocate, says: “Before the panchayat elections in 2023, Trinamool’s Abhishek Banerjee moved like a Raja-Maharaja from north Bengal to south with a huge entourage and elaborate arrangements for food and stay. The only reason was to energise the lumpen elements of the party. The results were clearly visible during and after the polls.”
Around 50 people died in connection with the panchayat polls held eight months ago in the state. The 2021 Assembly polls also witnessed its share of pre-poll, during-poll and post-poll violence.
Violations of the Model Code of Conduct are rife in Bengal, says Shishir Bajoria, who coordinates BJP’s interactions with the Election Commission. “Every day, we receive hundreds of calls and messages and videos from our karyakartas from across the state, telling us how the MCC is being violated in Bengal. We try and bring these to the notice of the Commission,” he told The Sunday Guardian.
“The BJP is nobody to give lectures on probity. Every day, the BJP abuses the only woman Chief Minister in the country in the vilest language. From Prime Minister Modi to Suvendu Adhikari, all BJP leaders need lessons on how to talk in a civilised manner,” counters Shashi Panja, a senior minister in Mamata Banerjee’s Cabinet.
Misinformation is another weapon that is being liberally used by all leaders, regardless of their political affiliations.
“Almost every single comment that Mamata Banerjee makes is misinformation,” alleges veteran journalist Suman Chattopadhyay. “And those are amplified and passed down to the grassroots by her minions. The aim is to sow doubt and create apprehension in the minds of the poor and the minorities. CAA, NRC, MGNREGA, Awas Yojana have all been utilised by Mamata very efficiently,” he adds.
“The BJP is not far behind either”, he continues, “their IT brigade very efficiently makes any issue trend on social media. Both the Trinamool and the BJP want to polarise the voters. So, any issue, from Ram Mandir to CAA, everything is fair game.”
While announcing the Lok Sabha elections, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said: “The ECI is committed and has put in place measures to deal with these disruptive challenges.”
Clearly the time has come for the poll panel to walk the talk.