WB panchayat poll notification likely on Monday

District magistrates will notify the election schedule for the poll to be held on July 2, 6 and 9

The West Bengal State Election Commission is likely to issue notification for the three-tier panchayat election on Monday, setting in motion the poll process from Wednesday next, SEC sources said here today.

They said the district magistrates would notify the election schedule for the poll to be held on July 2, 6 and 9. Earlier during the day, SEC officials held a meeting with state Home Secretary Basudev Banerjee and Additional DGP Banibrata Basu to review law and order and the requirement of security forces for the smooth conduct of the polls.

The SEC had held a series of meetings with the law enforcing authorities and political parties in the last few days.

State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey had yesterday discussed with Governor M K Narayanan the issues of requirement of security forces and arrangement for the poll.

"All aspects have been discussed...He wanted to know about the security position and I told him what we have said to the state government in this regard," Pandey had told reporters after meeting the Governor at Raj Bhavan. The SEC had earlier agreed to the formula proposed by the state government for district-wise holding of the rural election in three phases.

A division bench of the Calcutta High Court had on May 14 rejected the SEC order for 800 companies of central forces to man the panchayat polls and directed that the election be held in three phases and the process be completed by July 15.