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Nomination filing for Bengal panchayat polls can be extended by a day: SEC to Calcutta HC
On Monday, the SEC passed another order saying those who withdraw nominations for the three-tier panchayat polls will have to cite adequate reasons
The deadline for filing nominations for the July 8 panchayat polls in West Bengal can be extended by a day to June 16 but the election schedule cannot be changed, the state election commission (SEC) told the Calcutta high court on Monday.
A division bench headed by chief justice TS Sivagnanam, which was hearing separate petitions filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari and state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for extension of dates for filing nominations, suggested that the polling may be held on July 14 and filing of nomination can take place between June 15 and 21.
The scrutiny of nominations may take place on June 23 and deadline for withdrawing nomination may be extended to June 26, the bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, suggested.
Senior lawyer Jayanta Mitra, appearing for the SEC, however, cited Section 46 of the West Bengal Panchayat Elections Act, 2003, which allows the poll panel to extend the last date of nomination by one day, “if the commission is satisfied that there is reasonable apprehension of prevention/obstruction to the intending candidates from making nominations”.
“June 17 is date of scrutiny and June 18 is date for withdrawal. What I submit is that a one-day extension will not disturb this process,” Mitra told the court.
Lawyer Koustav Bagchi, who represented Chowdhury, said: “The court suggested that the SEC should give the matter a thought and reserved its order.”
Adhikari, the leader of opposition in state assembly, said, “We will move another petition before the chief justice.”
On June 9, the petitioners moved the court demanding extension of dates and deployment of central paramilitary forces in view of the clashes that started hours after the schedule for the three-tier — zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats — elections was announced on June 8.
“Prima facie, we are of the view that the time limit fixed in the notification is inadequate,” the high court said on June 9. Amid reports of political clashes over nominations in various districts, the SEC on Sunday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), banning assembly of four or more people, within a kilometre of nomination centres. On Monday, the SEC passed another order saying those who withdraw nominations for the three-tier panchayat polls will have to cite adequate reasons.
Meanwhile, CPI(M), BJP and Indian Secular Front (ISF) alleged that their candidates were attacked and intimidated by workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in East Burdwan, Bankura, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad and Birbhum districts in the south Bengal.
Soma Das, a CPI(M) district committee leader in North 24 Parganas, suffered head injury at Minakhan. “TMC workers blocked our Minakhan office for hours to prevent CPI(M) candidates from going to the block development office to file their nominations,” she alleged. “Several of our party workers were injured when they attacked us and ransacked at least one dozen motorcycles.”
The BJP alleged that its workers were attacked at Sonamukhi in Bankura district. BJP leader and Bishnupur MP Saumitra Khan blocked the Sonamukhi highway in protest.
The ruling TMC rejected the allegations of violence perpetrated by its workers.
“These incidents are a fallout of infighting in the opposition parties. We have urged our workers not to fall for any provocation,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said. “We welcome everyone to file nomination. If they face any problem, we will help them. The real issue is that opposition parties don’t have candidates to field.”
