The Calcutta High Court today rejected an application by West Bengal government seeking more time for holding elections to seven municipal bodies in the state.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi, rejected an application for modification of the court's earlier order that had directed the state government to complete the election process to these bodies within two months.
Holding that the State Election Commission (SEC) has the primacy in fixing the dates of polls, the high court had on April 16 struck down West Bengal government's decision to withhold elections to seven civic bodies and ordered that the same be held within two months.
As such, the election process to the municipal bodies of Raniganj, Jamuria, Asansol, Kulti, Bidhananagar, Rajarhat-Gopalpur and Bally are required to be completed by June 16.
Election to the 91 civic bodies in the state was held on April 25 and that for Kolkata Municipal Corporation on April 18.
