Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered the state election commission to “reappraise” ground reality and decide if central forces need to be deployed for Saturday’s Bidhannagar civic polls.

It added that in case the state election commissioner decides not to deploy central forces, he would be personally liable to ensure no violence takes place during Bidhannagar polls.

“We hereby direct the state election commissioner that the state election commission hold a joint meeting with the chief secretary and home secretary of the state, and the director-general of state police within 12 hours, and do a reappraisal of the ground situation in the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation area, and ascertain if deployment of paramilitary forces is necessary for ensuring peaceful conduct of election,” the court said.

Accordingly, the commission held a meeting with the officials concerned, along with the commissioner of Bidhannagar police on Thursday evening.

The court was hearing two petitions — one filed by the BJP and another by an individual — that sought central forces for Bidhannagar polls.

The petitions urged the court to direct the state poll panel to hold counting for the four municipal corporations that go to polls on Saturday, the 108 municipalities that go to polls on February 27, together.

On this issue, the court said it can’t interfere in such matters once polls have been notified and left the matter to the commission. However, it did observe that the commission must keep in mind the plea that “declaration of result of one municipal corporation may affect the elections scheduled soon thereafter in other municipal corporations/municipalities”.

The applicants (political parties) were asked to submit representations to the commission in this regard.

“If such representations are filed by the applicants within 24 hours from today, then the same will be considered and an appropriate decision in accordance with law will be taken by the state election commission within 48 hours,” the court said.

The court also upheld the commission’s decision that an individual must be the voter of a particular polling station to become a polling agent in that station. The commission has been asked to ensure functioning CCTV cameras in all booths.

BJP march

The state youth wing of the BJP led a march to the commission’s office on Rawdon Street in Calcutta. The agitators — along with the youth wing state chief Indranil Khan and other leaders — were detained by Calcutta police and released after six hours.

The BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari led a delegation to the commission, demanding that the polls to Dinhata, Budge Budge and Sainthia (civic bodies Trinamul won because of uncontested wards), and Bolpur (where the BJP alleged that its candidates were stopped from filing nominations) be cancelled.