Govt to decide panchayat election dates after vote on account

Asserting that the state government has the prerogative to decide panchayat election dates, West Bengal Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee today said that the dates would be notified after the vote on account is passed by the Assembly on March 15.
"A decision on the dates will be taken after the vote on account is passed," Mukherjee told newspersons in his Assembly chamber here.
The state Budget was placed before the House yesterday and a vote on account would be passed on March 15 for expenditure for the first four months from April.
"It is the state government's prerogative to decide on the dates," Mukherjee claimed when asked to comment on the ongoing controversy over the State Election Commission's suggestion that the panchayat elections be held in three phases, while the state wants it to be held in two phases.

"The law says the panchayat election dates will be decided by the state government in consultation with the commission and not the other way round," he said.
The minister said that the commission had only consultative powers in this regard and not decision-making authority.

"The powers of the state commission should not be mixed up with the powers of the Election Commission of India, a constitutional body.
"There is no clash with the Commission. She (Commissioner Mira Pandey) has the right to suggest," he said.
"We had earlier wanted the election to be held in a single phase only. But as we are accommodative and want to cooperate, we agreed to two phases," he said.

Peeved over the commission's recommendation of holding the coming panchayat poll in West Bengal in three phases under supervision of central forces, the ruling Trinamool Congress had on Sunday accused the poll panel chief of being partial to the Left Front.