More uncertainty over West Bengal Panchayat polls as parties fight it out in court

Uncertainty looms over the ongoing West Bengal Panchyat Elections scheduled for 1,3 and 5 May as Calcutta High Court has given a stay order on the election process with the next hearing scheduled on 16 April.

Calcutta High Court on Monday asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to provide an account of what steps have been taken to deal with complaints by Opposition parties. In response, the ruling All India Trinamool Congress has decided to appeal to the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court on Friday.

Soon after AITC decided to appeal to the Division Bench of Calcutta High Court, the BJP has decided to file a caveat at the Division Bench regarding filing of nominations.

Partha Chatterjee state parliamentary affairs minister said “We decided to approach the Division Bench as Opposition parties are unnecessarily trying to disrupt the poll process. They do not have the required manpower to contest the election. Polls will be held on schedule.”

Meanwhile the SEC has instructed district administrations to halt preparations for the polls, including training of officials for the poll process, until the High Court decides on the matter.

Most experts now believe that the polls might get rescheduled.

Makhanlal Majumder, former election commissioner of Bihar said “ There are high possibilities that the Panchayat election might get rescheduled after Calcutta High Court gave a stay order on Thursday. I feel that Calcutta High Court will ask the Commission to provide fresh dates for submission of nominations to those who weren't able to file their nominations. The poll schedule will change as a result”.

Meera Pande, former state election commissioner, said “After the Calcutta High Court's stay order, there is uncertainty over conducting polls on the scheduled dates. It needs to be seen how the case progresses in the Calcutta High Court.”

The Calcutta High Court has also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the BJP for misrepresentation and suppression of facts .

Kalyan Banerjee, a senior lawyer and AITC MP said “I appealed to the Court on Wednesday that BJP has suppressed the fact that they had already moved the case to the Supreme Court. As a result on Thursday, Honourable High Court imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on the BJP.”

The CPI(M) welcomed the High Court’s decision but went ahead with a six-hour bandh on Friday.

However, in protest against the CPI(M)'s bandh called by the CPI(M) , the West Bengal government took all measures to foil it.

They issued an order instructing the West Bengal government employees to be present at the office on Friday and threatened to deduct salaries if they remained absent, unless the leave had been sanctioned earlier.

The state government also arranged for extra buses during the bandh so that school and office goers weren't affected.

Soon after the Calcutta High Court order, Left student organisations organised a demonstration near the SEC office alleging that democracy is in peril and that the SEC is acting according to the whims and fancies of the state government. A clash took place between the protestors and the police in which a few people were injured.