Bengal rural polls: Fresh nominations to be filed Monday

KOLKATA: The West Bengal state election commission on Saturday announced that fresh nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls can be filed on April 23.

The nominations will be scrutinised on April 25, according to the poll body’s order. Nominations can be withdrawn till April 28, the order stated.

However, the election commission did not mention fresh dates for election. The polls were initially scheduled for May 1, 3 and 5, but opposition parties levelled allegations of violence against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and went to court demanding extension of dates for filing of nominations.

Going by the rulebook, votes cannot be cast before May 14 because there has to be a gap of 21 days between the last date of nomination and first polling day.

“The polls will turn into a farce if opposition candidates are coerced and forced to withdraw candidature ... on Monday,” said state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury.

CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said opposition parties would move the court again if the commission fails to provide security to their candidates.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said, “We told the (poll body’s) commissioner that we don’t want polls at the height of summer, during rains or in the Ramzan month.”

BJP leader Mukul Roy alleged that the ruling party was putting pressure on the commissioner to hold polls on a single day. HTC