Bengal panchayat polls: Compilation taking time, results likely on July 17

The final results of the West Bengal panchayat elections are likely to be declared on July 17, as the compilation process is taking a lot of time, a senior official said on Friday.

Results of a number of seats in the three tiers of the panchayat polls held on July 8 were out, but the final tally has not yet been released by the State Election Commission (SEC).

The counting process which began on July 11 is over, but the compilation is still underway, the official told PTI.

"There are a total of 71,000 seats, so one can understand the mammoth task of compiling the results. Besides, the process has become slow because of some technical issues. We are hoping to release the results on Monday," he said.

The state poll panel has countermanded the panchayat polls in 20 booths in three districts because of various malpractices during the counting process. Fresh voting will be held in those booths at a later date to be notified in due course.

According to the results declared so far, the ruling Trinamool Congress has already secured a massive victory in the panchayat elections.

It has also won all 20 Zila Parishads, bagging 880 seats, while its nearest rival BJP won 31 seats of the total 928. The Congress-Left Front alliance secured 15 seats while others won the remaining two seats.

The ruling party emerged victorious in over 6,450 panchayat samiti seats. The BJP has won nearly 1,000 seats, while the CPI(M) and the Congress have won over 180 and 260 seats.

The TMC won over 35,000 gram panchayat seats out of the total 63,219. The BJP won nearly 10,000 seats, while the Left-Congress bagged about 6,000 seats in the elections that were marred by incidents of violence in various parts of the state.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that 19 people, mostly from her TMC, died in poll-related violence since the election date was announced on June 8. Police sources, however, have put the number of fatalities at 37.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said that the panchayat elections and the declaration of results will be subject to its final orders in connection with matters that it is hearing over allegations of electoral malpractices on the day of polling.

The SEC has directed the district panchayat officers and district magistrates to comply with the high court order and inform the candidates who have been declared elected about this.