West Bengal election panel may extend rural poll nomination date by day

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The State Election Commission (SEC) on Monday told the Calcutta High Court that it can extend the last date of filing nominations for panchayat polls in West Bengal by a day to June 16.

After hearing petitions of opposition leaders for an extension of the date for filing nominations and deployment of central forces for the July 8 polls, the court had on June 9 observed that the time given for filing papers is prima facie inadequate.

SEC counsel Jayanta Mitra, who submitted a report before the division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam on Monday, said the last date for filing nominations could be extended to June 16, stating that six days were given for the purpose on previous occasions too.

The high court had directed the SEC to file a report in the form of an affidavit on the petitions by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari for extension of dates as also for deployment of central forces. Adhikari's counsel S Guru Krishnakumar told the court that the poll notification was issued within a day of the new commissioner taking charge, questioning what kind of consultation could have taken place with the state government on such short notice.

He said the rules provide that the state government shall in consultation with the SEC decide the dates for the election. Submitting there are over 73,000 seats where elections are to be held, he said only four hours each day have been provided for such a huge exercise.

Mitra told the court that over 10,000 nominations have so far been filed.

The chief justice said the confidence of the electorate should not be shaken and they must be able to exercise their franchise in a free and fair manner and that the SEC has powers to ensure that.

On a prayer by the petitioners for the deployment of central forces for the polls, the bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, asked whether the number of policemen in the state force was adequate.

Hearing in the matter will continue in the afternoon session, the court said.