The West Bengal government has applied to the Centre for obtaining Central security forces for the organisation of panchayat polls next month. The union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has confirmed that Central forces will be available to the Mamata Banerjee led government if she applies again.
Shinde had said that he had spoken to Banerjee on the phone on Monday. Earlier, the state government had asked for 130 companies of security forces from other states. With the state election commission having said that it would not compromise on security for the polls, the state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee also said that only the court could decide on its postponement.
‘Elections will be held. All preparations are underway and filing of nominations are on. The matter is now in court and only the court can say if the elections are not to be held on grounds of inadequate security,’ Mukherjee said.
Monday was the last day of withdrawal of nominations for the first phase of the polls and state election commissioner Mira Pandey had said that the SEC had received a few thousand complaints so far.
Pandey had, however, stressed that the high court guideline on manning of polling booths was quite clear and that the SEC wanted to ensure adequate security arrangements before the polls.
On the opposition’s allegation of withdrawal of nominations by such candidates following threats from the ruling party, Mukherjee said, ‘I have said earlier and (saying it again that the CPI(M) and Congress are not prepared to face the elections. That is why they are making such allegations. Neither party will hardly find candidates to field,’ he claimed.
Asked about Trinamool Congress, Left Front and Congress being elected unopposed in several panchayat samitis and gram panchayat seats, Mukherjee said in the panchayat elections in 2008, about 8,000 nominees were declared elected unopposed.
Shinde had said that he had spoken to Banerjee on the phone on Monday. Earlier, the state government had asked for 130 companies of security forces from other states. With the state election commission having said that it would not compromise on security for the polls, the state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee also said that only the court could decide on its postponement.
‘Elections will be held. All preparations are underway and filing of nominations are on. The matter is now in court and only the court can say if the elections are not to be held on grounds of inadequate security,’ Mukherjee said.
Monday was the last day of withdrawal of nominations for the first phase of the polls and state election commissioner Mira Pandey had said that the SEC had received a few thousand complaints so far.
Pandey had, however, stressed that the high court guideline on manning of polling booths was quite clear and that the SEC wanted to ensure adequate security arrangements before the polls.
On the opposition’s allegation of withdrawal of nominations by such candidates following threats from the ruling party, Mukherjee said, ‘I have said earlier and (saying it again that the CPI(M) and Congress are not prepared to face the elections. That is why they are making such allegations. Neither party will hardly find candidates to field,’ he claimed.
Asked about Trinamool Congress, Left Front and Congress being elected unopposed in several panchayat samitis and gram panchayat seats, Mukherjee said in the panchayat elections in 2008, about 8,000 nominees were declared elected unopposed.