Trinamul has welcomed the Election Commission of India’s Friday directive that central force jawans on poll duty would not check identity cards of voters before they enter polling booths.

“I just heard about the decision. I welcome the decision and thank the EC. I have seen in Nandigram that central force jawans were checking voters’ identity cards and threatening them,” said chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday in one of her election rallies.

Sources said that the EC issued a clear instruction on Friday that central force jawans should not check the identity cards of voters before they enter polling booths after complaints were lodged by the Trinamul that jawans were intimidating voters in the name of checking voter cards.

“The rule is clear. The presiding officers will check the voter I-cards after they enter the polling station. If the presiding officer is not satisfied with the document produced by a voter, he can seek help of central force jawans to take the voter out of the booth,” said a source in the poll panel, adding this was the standard practice. “But the poll panel has to give a reminder of the standard practice once again as complaints were coming up about the over-enthusiasm of the (central force) jawans,” the source added.

Trinamul sources said as the EC was forced to issue the directive, it was in a way acknowledging that the central force jawans were not following standard practice.

“It is clear that the central force jawans were doing something wrong in the first two phases of polls. We had lodged several complaints about the activities of the jawans after two phases of polls,” said a Trinamul leader.

Trinamul had lodged complaints with the poll panel that the central force jawans were preventing voters who had queued up without EPIC (electoral photo identity cards) from casting their franchise even though the poll panel rules allow people to vote on producing other documents including Aadhaar card, passport or driving licence.

The ruling party in Bengal had also lodged complaints that the jawans were intimidating voters in some places and campaigning in favour of the BJP in some areas.

This year, the EC had decided to guard all booths and a radius of 100m around each booth with central forces. Only one national volunteer force person — from the state government — is allowed inside the zone to ensure that queues are formed properly.

Trinamul had opposed the decision from the very first, saying the central force jawans, who come from other states, would not understand the language of local people and it might create trouble.

The poll panel has decided to deploy 618 companies of the central forces in the third phase of polls on April 6 where 31 Assembly segments will vote.