Panchayat polls: SEC may extend filing date by a day
Kolkata: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday submitted a report and told the Calcutta High Court that it can extend the last date for filing of nominations to June 16.
The Calcutta High Court on Friday observed that the time period for the candidates to file their nominations for the Panchayat polls is inadequate. The SEC was asked to file their reply in the form of a report on June 12.
The SEC’s counsel on Monday reportedly stated that a day’s extension will not disturb the schedule. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha on Thursday announced that the Panchayat polls in the state will be held on July 8, in a single phase and the counting will be held on July 11.
Addressing a press conference, Sinha announced that the public notice inviting nominations for election by the district Panchayat election officer will be made on June 9. The last date for filing of nomination is June 15 while the date for scrutiny of nominations is June 17. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is June 20.
According to a news agency report, the court on Monday suggested that if polling, which is currently scheduled to take place on July 8, is conducted on July 14 then filing of nominations can start from June 15 and continue till June 21. Scrutiny of nominations may be done till June 23 and the window of withdrawal may be extended till June 26.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya was hearing the case filed by the Opposition.
“Prima facie, we are of the view that the time limit fixed in the notification is inadequate,” the court had observed on Friday, while adding: “This, in our view, would appear to be hurrying up the process which needs to be reconsidered by the State Election Commission.”
On a prayer by the petitioners for the deployment of Central forces for the polls, the bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, asked whether the number of policemen in the state force was adequate.
Meanwhile, the SEC directed all District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to impose prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CRPC in 1 km radius of all nomination centres of the Panchayat elections, a senior official said on Monday.
The step was taken to ensure that the nomination process passed off safely, he added. The order will be in force till Thursday.
“We decided to impose prohibitory orders in a 1 km radius of nomination centres,” the official said, adding that an order to this effect was issued by the SEC on Sunday.
