EC full bench arrives in Kolkata to review poll preparedness

The full bench of the ElectionCommission arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday evening to reviewthe preparedness ahead of the assembly elections in WestBengal.

The officials, led by led by Chief ElectionCommissioner Sunil Arora, arrived here from poll-bound Assam.

Arora is being accompanied by Election CommissionersSushil Chandra and Rajiv Kumar, among others.

On Thursday, they will be holding meetings with ChiefElectoral Officer Ariz Aftab and Additional Director-General(Law and Order) Gyanwant Singh, who is also the nodal officerof the state police.

The EC officials are also scheduled to meetrepresentatives of political parties before meeting officialsof the central and state regulatory agencies.

BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy said his partywill urge the visiting EC officials to do whatever is neededfor ensuring free and fair polls in West Bengal.

''I am of the view that a section of the police forcehere is working in a partisan manner, serving the rulingparty,'' he said.

The EC officials will also hold a review meeting withdivisional commissioners, district election officers andsenior police officers, sources in the state poll panel said.

They will also be meeting Chief Secretary AlapanBandyopadhyay, Home Secretary HK Dwivedi, DGP Virendra andother senior officials.

They will be leaving for Delhi on Friday.

The assembly elections in West Bengal are likely inApril-May.