Governor to meet SEC chief today, take stock of poll prep

Kolkata: Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi will hold a meeting with state Election Commissioner A K Singh on Wednesday, to take stock of the preparations for the ensuing Panchayat elections, the dates for which was announced by the state Election Commission (SEC) on Saturday.

Sources in the Raj Bhavan said that Singh had sought the time from the Governor, to discuss certain aspects of security and other things related to poll-preparedness. "The stand of the state government in various matters related to the polls and the allegations made by the Opposition will also come up for discussion in the meeting," a top official of SEC said.

Meanwhile, the state government once again engaged in a shadow duel with the Governor, over BJP state President Dilip Ghosh's comment that the Governor was reportedly "worried about violence in Bengal and wanted Central forces in the state during the Panchayat polls." State Education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee told mediapersons: "People of Bengal have stopped considering the Governor as a neutral person. We have never heard from the Governor that he wants Central Forces. But Dilip babu (Dilip Ghosh) has said so. Why should things said to a delegation come out in public? Why are the Opposition scared of the rule of law?"

Ghosh, along with BJP leader Mukul Roy, led a delegation and met Tripathi on Tuesday afternoon. It may be mentioned that one person has died in alleged clashes over submission of nomination forms ahead of the Panchayat polls. The filing of nominations had started on Monday, soon after the SEC put forth the notification, declaring the election dates. Clashes were reported from Bankura's Onda, Lalbagh in Murshidabad, Arambagh in Hooghly district, Suri and Labhpur in Birbhum.

"The Opposition has started visiting the Governor with an attempt to disturb the smooth poll process and the development taken up by the government under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee," Chatterjee said.