West Bengal State Election Commission fails to declare Panchayat poll dates

The logjam between the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) and the state government continued on Wednesday as the dates for West Bengal's three-tier Panchayat polls could not be declared.

Sources at Nabanna, the state secretariat, said that the state government wanted the polls to be conducted ahead of the month of Ramadan which would begin on May 16, but SEC officials said it would not be possible due to the inadequate number of armed forces available. For about 58,000 polling booths across the state, the number of armed forces is 46,000.

While both the state and SEC officials remain tight-lipped on the issue, it was found out that a meeting between the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Saurav Das and the SEC has been fixed at 12 noon on Thursday for a final decision on the dates. The OSD has also been asked to submit the state's suggestions in writing to the SEC regarding the number of phases and the way forces would be marshalled at the booths. The SEC is set to decide on the dates only after the state puts forward its suggestions.

In another development, several Muslim organisations led by All Bengal Minority Forum (ABMF) submitted a deputation at the SEC demanding that poll process should not be conducted during the month of Ramadan. "The weather is extremely hot especially at districts such as Malda and Birbhum. People who are fasting would have a lot of trouble going to the booths to cast their votes. Looking at that we demand that election should be completed ahead of Ramadan. If that is not ensured we will move court," said Md Kamruzzaman, general secretary, ABMF.