The battle between the West Bengal government and the state election watchdog took a serious turn on Monday as the Election Commision moved the High Court seeking rejection of the Panchayat poll dates notified by the government.
Justice Biswanath Samaddar of the Kolkata High Court directed council for the EC L C Bihani to get the petition listed before it could be taken up.
In its appeal the commission also said that it wanted to conduct the panchayat poll as soon as possible because the tenure of the present Panchayat would end in June this year.
Earlier, defying the election commission's suggestion for a three-stage poll in the presence of central security forces, the West Bengal government on March 22 announced that a two-phase election would be held on April 26 and 30 under the supervision of the state police.
Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, South Dinajpur, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purulia, Howrah, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan and Hooghly districts will go to the polls on the first phase scheduled for April 26.
North Dinajpur, Malda and Murshidabad districts will have elections on April 30.
Despite the commission’s request to deploy 800 companies of CRPF personnel, the government has indicated that it will only rope in police forces from the neighbouring states
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