The state panchayat polls are likely to be held in March-April next year under the security cover of the West Bengal Police, a West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) senior official claimed on Tuesday. The official also said that a notification in this regard would be issued in January.
However, the SEC termed the claims as “baseless.”
“There is no truth in this claim. The election is due to be held in May in the normal course. Nothing has been decided so far,” another senior SEC official said.
Elections for the Howrah Municipal Corporation will simultaneously be held with the panchayat polls, sources said.
According to the official, the Commission is likely to release the draft seat reservation list for 20 districts on Wednesday. Till November 2, people will be allowed to visit their respective district magistrate’s office for any changes in the draft list. From November 7 to 16, corrections will be made to the draft list. By the end of November, the final seat reservation list would be published, he said.
The official also said the polls would be held under the security cover of the state police.
The ruling Trinamool Congress has welcomed the decision of the state election commission. “We welcome the decision taken by the state poll panel. The Trinamool Congress is ready for the panchayat polls. Our organisation has already been shaped for the election. By organising ‘bijoya sammilani’ across the state, we have measured the strength of our organisation and there is no reason to worry. We have full faith in the ability of the state police, and therefore, there is no question of getting central forces,” said TMC Lok Sabha MP Sougata Roy.
BJP state unit core committee member Rahul Sinha criticised the decision of the state election commission. “The TMC government is scared of losing people’s support following the arrest of so many of their leaders. Therefore, it wants to hold the panchayat polls as early as possible. But the BJP is ready to contest the election and we will give them a spirited fight,” said Sinha.
Alleging that the SEC has been transformed into a branch of Trinamool Congress, state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury demanded that the panchayat polls should be held under the security cover of paramilitary forces.
“An election under the state election commission means having an election under the leadership of the TMC. The state poll panel has been reduced to being another branch office of the ruling party. This is nothing (using state police) but an opportunity to turn the election into a farce. We demand that the panchayat polls should be held under the security cover of central paramilitary forces. If needed, we will move the court…,” said Chowdhury.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “The TMC does not want to hold the election. It wants to turn it into a farce with the help of state police. They want to loot people’s votes through intimidation and fear as they did
last time.”
— WITH pti inputs
