West Bengal panchayat poll notification today: Mira Pandey

The West Bengal State Election Commission would issue notification for the three-tier panchayat election in the state tomorrow, State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey today said.

The notification will set in motion the poll process from May 29. Once SEC issues the notification, district magistrates will follow suit in their regions on the basis of the schedule for the poll to be held on July 2, 6 and 9, Pandey told PTI.

Earlier during the day, SEC officials held a meeting to review final arrangements for the poll.

The poll panel had held a series of meetings in this regard with law enforcing authorities and political parties in the past few days.

Last week, Pandey had discussed requirement of security forces and arrangement for the polls as per its discussion with the state government, with Governor M K Narayanan. "However, we are yet to receive any reply regarding the deployment pattern of security forces or security arrangements during nomination process," she said.

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 conduct the panchayat polls and directed that the election be held in three phases and the process be completed by July 15.

Meanwhile, the state government has ordered an inquiry into the receipt of three threatening letters by Pandey.

Though SEC sources maintained that the letters were threatening in nature "presumably for her stand on the holding of panchayat elections", Pandey chose not to make any comment on the issue.