Taking note of unabated political violence in poll-bound West Bengal, Election Commission (EC) on Thursday decided to make an independent assessment of the law and order situation in the state. According to a press release of the commission, a team of five senior police officers, led by the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar, is being sent to the state to make a first-hand assessment of the situation there. The team will visit different districts of the state immediately and make an on-the-spot assessment and submit a report to the Commission. The decision to send a team has been taken following representations from several political parties, who met the EC officials in the capital and in Kolkata recently, and media reports on the issue. Noting that assembly polls to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry were due by May-June, the EC said it was taking all necessary measures, including keeping a watch on the law and order situation in these states.