SEC bars working contractual staff from contesting polls

Kolkata: The State Election Commission (SEC) has barred certain sections of people from contesting the Panchayat elections, which include civic volunteers and ration dealers.

Among this list are people who are the contractual staff, including civic volunteers, who are generally deployed to the aid of policemen. They have been included in the list of people who cannot contest the rural elections to avoid any controversy.

It is learnt that it is not just the civic volunteers but even other contractual staff such as state government’s Education department associates, Panchayat tax collectors and contractual Group D staff are also not allowed to contest the rural civic body polls.

However, several restrictions have been imposed for government contractors in case they wish to contest. This requires them to first withdraw themselves from any government contract before filing the nomination. In cases where work under an already bagged contract is ongoing, it will have to be completed before the contractor chooses to file his nomination as a candidate.

Such rules have also sparked speculations with the Opposition alleging that rules have been set in such a manner that contractors close to the ruling party will be able to contest the polls but ones who have no association with TMC will be barred from contesting.

Further, Opposition parties are also of the opinion that even if these contractors close to the ruling party cannot contest the poll themselves their family members will instead be standing in the elections. “The state election body should not appear to be biased and favour the ruling party. However, we hope democracy will be respected in the upcoming Panchayat elections unlike what happened in the last one in 2018,” said an Opposition leader.

Trinamool Congress leaders have, however, rubbished such allegations. A TMC leader said the Opposition parties are gearing up with their excuses that are meant to hide the fact that they do have enough booth-level party workers to participate in an election.

“TMC believes in fairness. Our leader Abhishek Banerjee has made it clear that people are free to vote whoever they want to and that there must be peace during the polls,” said the TMC leader.