WB panchayat polls: SEC holds meeting with DMs, SPs

The West Bengal State Election Commission today held a meeting with the district magistrates and SPs of nine districts to review law and order for the panchayat elections in the state.
The mode of deployment of forces, in view of its dearth, were discussed at the meeting at which State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey, SEC secretary Tapas Roy and other officials of the poll panel were present.
The meet came a day after an all-party meeting by the SEC yesterday.
Commission officials said security of ballot papers and strong rooms were discussed at the meeting which lasted for over three hours.

They said the district authorities were informed about the start of the polling process and coming into force of model code of conduct after poll notification, which is yet to be made.
The state government had yesterday sent three dates - July 2, 6 and 10 for holding the elections in three phases to SEC.

The state government has proposed that in the first phase of nine districts - North and South 24 Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, Howrah, Hooghly and Burdwan be held on July 2.
In the second phase on July 6, elections were proposed to be held in Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia and Birbhum districts followed by North and South Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar districts in the third on July 10.

The Calcutta High Court had on May 14 directed that the panchayat election be held in three phases and the dates be announced by the state in consultation with the SEC.