IT is nothing short of bizarre – that officers-in charge of police stations have been busy sending reports on the popularity of candidates of the ruling party contesting the mayoral elections. It seems the OCs of this city have enough time at hand to carry out the task of pollsters – something that is both unfair, as it is done only for AL-backed candidates, and also an abuse of a state agency.

The investigative report by this paper, further mentions that the police officers were assigned by deputy commissioners to send the reports on the candidate's popularity via a special email address and fax number. A sample of the assessment report obtained by The Daily Star shows a box where a candidate's popularity can be marked on a scale of hundred. According to the report, the purpose of this task is to indicate whether a candidate is unpopular so that the party can withdraw its original endorsement and go for the more popular candidate, even an independent one. 

The state minister for home's denial that his ministry did not issue these instructions is rather bewildering. It would mean that the deputy commissioners are on their own carrying out these popularity assessments, which, if true, should be considered an abuse of their power. That the police is working beyond its remit in a matter that clashes with the principle of neutrality during campaigning demands the Election Commission's intervention.

If the deputy commissioners are acting on their own accord the government should put an immediate stop to it to save its own image.