Mamata locks horns with state poll panel

The State Election Commission and the West Bengal government have locked horns over the dates and arrangement of security forces for panchayat elections.

While the election panel is sticking to its point of conducting panchayat polls in three phases—the process they think necessary for a free and fare election, the state government is insisting on two phases.

The government in a letter dated March 4 asked the SEC to conduct election in two phases—on April 24 in 14 districts of the state and on April 27 in the remaining three districts but in reply the election commission said that it is not capable of conduction polls in two phases and that an additional day was needed to conduct peaceful elections.

This is the second time that the SEC has turned down the state government’s offer proposal. It earlier forced the government to climb down from conducting the entire polls in a single day to a two-phased election schedule.

“We have stuck to our stand of holding the elections in three phases on April 28, May 2 and May 6. We have also asked for 800 companies of central paramilitary forces as we need two CRPF jawans for each of the booths,” SEC official told Deccan Herald.