Bengal SEC holds meeting with govt ahead of civic polls in Dec

Kolkata: State Election Commission (SEC) of West Bengal on Saturday held a meeting with top state government and police officials about holding municipal corporation elections in Kolkata and Howrah in the third week of December.

Issues such as the number of polling and security personnel to be deployed, the Covid-19 protocols to be adhered to and the model code of conduct to be imposed were discussed at the meeting attended by State Election Commissioner S K Das and Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi and others, SEC Secretary Nilanjan Sandilya told PTI.

"It was a preliminary meeting with the top state government and police officials with an eye on the December 19 polls in the districts of Kolkata, Howrah. This is a routine meeting held before every local body polls," he said.

Asked if holding of polls in 100-odd municipalities in the state where elections are due was also discussed, Sandilya said, "Since the polling dates are yet to be decided (in those civic bodies), today's meeting focused on the elections to Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Howrah Municipal Corporation where the dates have been finalised."

Another SEC official said it was decided at the meeting that EVMs will be used for the voting.

Apart from the chief secretary, the home secretary and the director General of police were present at the meeting.

The SEC, which conducts municipal and panchayat polls in colsultation with the state government, last Tuesday accepted the state's proposal to hold civic body elections in Kolkata and Howrah on December 19.

The five-year term of elected representatives who run West Bengal's 112 municipalities and corporations ended in the last two years. Elections could not be held due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

These civic bodies are being run by administrators appointed by the state government.