Kolkata, Jun 24 (IANS): West Bengal BJP on Saturday demanded that the deployment of central forces for the July 8 panchayat polls should continue for 15 days after the results are declared on July 11 to prevent voilence in the state.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said: "We remember how goons backed the Trinamool Congress unleashed severe post-poll violence in different parts of the state after the 2021 Assembly polls. We fear that similar post-poll violence will be unleashed after the panchayat polls also. Hence, we demand that the deployment of central armed forces to continue for sometime even after the results are declared."

The BJP has also submitted a memorandum in this regard to the office of the State Election Commission.

A total of 337 companies of central armed forces have already been deployed in the state for the panchayat elections, who have started to conduct route marches in different tension-prone areas across the state.

The State Election Commission, as insisted by the Calcutta High Court, has sought a total of 822 companies of central armed forces for the rural civic body polls.

Sources said the Commission is yet undecided on the distribution of the forces personnel on the polling day on July 8.

The BJP leadership has complained that these complications on distribution of forces would not have surfaced had the polls been conducted in five phases like in 2013, instead of a single phase this time.