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The West Bengal Government on Tuesday stuck to its stand of carrying out Panchayat polls in two phases and on the scheduled dates; but decided to soften on the manner in which polls will be conducted.
According to State Panchayat Minister, Subrata Mukherjee, elections will take place across the 12 districts of south Bengal in one phase; followed by five north Bengal districts in the second phase.
An earlier notification by the State Government had said that elections will be carried out in two phases on April 26 and April 30 across 17 districts. In the first phase, elections will be carried out across 14 districts of the state followed by three others in the next.
On Monday (March 25) the State Election Commission (SEC) wrote to the state government making apparent its displeasure on the issue. The SEC in an 11-page letter to the state government had expressed its inability to stick to the Panchayat poll schedule announced.
“We will stick to the dates announced by the State Government and Panchayat polls will be in two phases. However, we have decided that elections will be phased as North and South Bengal districts,” Mukherjee told reporters following a meeting with the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.
According to Mukherjee, the poll dates and manner of elections are done within the provisions of the State Panchayat Act.
“The law clearly states that the SEC’s role will be restricted to conducting elections. Most of the issues mentioned in SEC’s letter are irrelevant,” he added.
Over the last few months, the State Government had proposed that polls be held in a single phase under state forces which was ruled out by the SEC.
Later, based on the SEC’s suggestion, the State Government agreed to a two-phase poll. However, while the SEC had sought an equal distribution of districts which the state government refused to accede to it.
Meanwhile, the state election commissioner, Mira Pande, had earlier in the day held a meeting with the Governor seeking his intervention in the matter. The State Chief Secretary, Sanjay Mitra, will also meet the Governor later in the day to apprise him of the State’s decision.
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