State not supposed to send communication to the SEC:Mukherjee

With the Mamata Banerjee government rigid on its stand for a 2-phase panchayat poll in West Bengal, Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee today said that the government will reply to some information sought by the State Election Commission.
"The state government is not supposed to send any communication to the SEC, but it will reply to it as it has sought some information," Mukherjee said.
To a question, he said "the state government only wants the panchayat elections to pass off peacefully and are held in a democratic manner."
The state government which wants a two-phase panchayat poll supervised by the police is at loggerheads with the SEC which has twice recommended a three-phase election under the supervision of central forces.

Citing laws, Mukherjee had asserted yesterday that it was the state government's prerogative to decide the dates in consultation with the SEC which would be notified after the vote on account was passed by the state assembly on March 15.
According to him, the SEC enjoyed consultative powers only and it was not the decision-making authority.
Meanwhile, senior CPI(M) leader Suryakanta Mishra, who is the Leader of the Opposition said "Dates of the panchayat elections are yet to be announced. I have no idea what the state government will do."
The SEC was not available for comment.