Bengal govt, EC lock horns over Panchayat poll schedule

The Panchayat election in the state is due next May

With the state election commission staying firm on its proposal on a three phase Panchyat election in West Bengal in presence of central forces, a defiant West Bengal government today said it would go ahead announcing poll schedule without consulting the commission.

"The state Panchyat Act allows the state government to decide the Panchyat election schedule. If the the state election commission decides that it would act stubborn on the issue, we will announce the poll dates," West Bengal Panchyat minister Subrata Mukherjee said. The Panchayat election in the state is due in next May.

Earlier yesterday, state election commissioner Mira Pande sent a letter to the state government, rejecting its proposal of two phase election with deployment of polices from neighboring states. In the letter, the state election commission asked the state to consider the three-phase poll with presence of central forces.

Incidentally, this is second time, state election commission rejected state government's proposal on Panchayat poll schedule.

Earlier, the state election commission had sent a similar letter rejecting state government's proposal on single phase Panchyat election. Then state government climbed down from its position and sent a revised proposal suggesting two-phase poll in presence of police forces from other states.

But the state election commission seems to be hardening its stand favouring  three-phase poll in presence of central forces. This does not seem to have gone well with Trinamool Congress government here.

"We climbed down from our demand for single phase election. The election commission should keep it in mind that it is prerogative of the state government to decide Panchayat poll schedule," Mukherjee said. According to him, a final decision will be taken after consulting chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

According government officials, state might have the authority to decide the poll schedule, but since the election takes place under the supervision of state election commission, its views can not be ignored.

"Article 42 of Panchyat Act says state can decide the poll schedule. But Article 43 of the same Act says if state election commission has objection the schedule, it should initiate consultation with state government," said a senior bureaucrat.

Incidentally, Both Left and state Congress has favoured three-phase Panchyat election and asked for deployment of Central forces during election.