The West Bengal election commission on Friday finally announced dates for the panchayat elections in the state. The elections will be held in three phases on 2, 6 and 10 July.
The results will be announced three days later. This will be notified next week, Trinamool sources told Millennium Post.
The state government’s demand for a two-phase polling was earlier shot down by the Calcutta high court. The court has ruled that the polls will be held in three phases, as suggested by the state election commission (SEC).
Nine, four and four districts will go to polls respectively on the three days. The SEC though said that the court order was not clear on deployment of central forces for security, and now plans to appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. The election commission wants central forces to ensure a fair election. But this has been opposed by the state government.
‘The whole objective of the SEC is to trouble the chief minister it seems. We are still uncertain about the outcome of their differences’, a Trinamool MP told Millennium Post.
The bench comprising chief justice Arun Mishra and justice Joymalyo Bagchi had in its order of 14 May did not accept the SEC’s plea for 800 companies of central armed police force for holding the panchayat polls and directed that the state may requisition them from other states or the Centre if there was any shortfall.
‘Polls should be in three phases. Dates and division of districts to be decided by the State in consultation with the SEC. Election process should be completed before 15 July in any case,’ Justice Mishra said.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently travelling in North Bengal, has welcomed the Division Bench verdict. ‘We have been trying to hold the panchayat polls since last month. We are happy that the polls will finally be held now. I am happy that the conspiracy by the opposition parties to stall the polls has been defeated,’ Banerjee reacted.
SEC SEEKS DELETION OF ‘CONSENT’ IN HC ORDER ON PANCHAYAT POLLS
West Bengal State Election Commission today filed an application before the Calcutta High Court claiming that the court’s 14 May order directing holding of panchayat elections in the state in three phases by 15 July was ‘not a consent order’. The application, claiming that it was not a consent order, prayed for deletion of the part in the order wherein it was stated that the directions were by consent, Amrita Pandey, counsel representing the commission, said. The application is likely to be moved before a division bench comprising chief justice Arun Mishra and justice Joymalyo Bagchi on 3 June, when the court will reopen after summer vacation begining on Thursday. Panchayat election are to be held in three phases and that the poll process should be completed by 15 July.
The results will be announced three days later. This will be notified next week, Trinamool sources told Millennium Post.
The state government’s demand for a two-phase polling was earlier shot down by the Calcutta high court. The court has ruled that the polls will be held in three phases, as suggested by the state election commission (SEC).
Nine, four and four districts will go to polls respectively on the three days. The SEC though said that the court order was not clear on deployment of central forces for security, and now plans to appeal against the order in the Supreme Court. The election commission wants central forces to ensure a fair election. But this has been opposed by the state government.
‘The whole objective of the SEC is to trouble the chief minister it seems. We are still uncertain about the outcome of their differences’, a Trinamool MP told Millennium Post.
The bench comprising chief justice Arun Mishra and justice Joymalyo Bagchi had in its order of 14 May did not accept the SEC’s plea for 800 companies of central armed police force for holding the panchayat polls and directed that the state may requisition them from other states or the Centre if there was any shortfall.
‘Polls should be in three phases. Dates and division of districts to be decided by the State in consultation with the SEC. Election process should be completed before 15 July in any case,’ Justice Mishra said.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is currently travelling in North Bengal, has welcomed the Division Bench verdict. ‘We have been trying to hold the panchayat polls since last month. We are happy that the polls will finally be held now. I am happy that the conspiracy by the opposition parties to stall the polls has been defeated,’ Banerjee reacted.
SEC SEEKS DELETION OF ‘CONSENT’ IN HC ORDER ON PANCHAYAT POLLS
West Bengal State Election Commission today filed an application before the Calcutta High Court claiming that the court’s 14 May order directing holding of panchayat elections in the state in three phases by 15 July was ‘not a consent order’. The application, claiming that it was not a consent order, prayed for deletion of the part in the order wherein it was stated that the directions were by consent, Amrita Pandey, counsel representing the commission, said. The application is likely to be moved before a division bench comprising chief justice Arun Mishra and justice Joymalyo Bagchi on 3 June, when the court will reopen after summer vacation begining on Thursday. Panchayat election are to be held in three phases and that the poll process should be completed by 15 July.