Five special teams to review Bengal's poll preparedness: EC

The Election Commission has decided to depute five special teams to review poll preparedness across 21 districts of West Bengal for the upcoming assembly elections, an official said on Thursday.

"Five special teams will undertake comprehensive review of poll preparedness across 21 districts from March 18 to March 22," said additional chief electoral officer Dibyendu Sarkar.

"They will make a first hand assessment of the various arrangements made by election machinery for the polls," he said.

Sarkar said the teams will submit a detailed report on March 23.

Each of the five teams will be led by chief electoral officers of five states - Punjab, Chattisgarh, New Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka - and include four other officials: additional or deputy CEO, one Indian Police Service officer and two poll panel officials.

With regards to compliance of poll code, EC has issued show cause notices to Trinamool Congress' Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal, party leader Rezzak Mollah and CPI-M MP Mohammed Salim.

"They have been issued show cause notices on Thursday by concerned returning officers on basis of media reports according to which they made statements in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the poll process," said Sarkar, adding the leaders have been asked to submit their reply within 24 hours.