Bengal to contest petition filed by State Election Commission

Faced with the West Bengal State Election Commission filing a petition at the Calcutta High Court praying for cancellation of the panchayat poll date notification, the state government today decided to contest it on legal points.
"We are contesting the petition filed by the State Election Commission on legal points and allied issues," state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said here today after holding a series of meetings with his officials, Advocate General Bimal Chatterjee and finally with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"The West Bengal Government, its Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra and Principal Secretary in panchayat department Sourav Das have been made party by the petitioner SEC," Mukherjee said.

"Since this is the 8th panchayat election, how can the petitioner demand to scrap certain sections of the Panchayat Act?" Mukherjee asked replying to a question.
The minister said, "We are strong enough to combat the petition filed at the Calcutta High Court by the SEC. We are also strong enough on our grounds."
"However, we want the panchayat election to be held at the earliest and also want to make it free, fair and peaceful," Mukherjee said.
The Trinamool Congress-led government and the SEC are confronting each other over the deployment of central forces during the panchayat poll and over its schedule.

The government has announced that the election will be held in two phases and under the supervision of the state police whereas the poll panel proposed that it be held in three phases and be supervised by central forces to make it free and fair.