Uncertainty over poll date continues

KOLKATA: The date of the Bengal rural elections will be finalised by a division bench after verifying security arrangements across the state, the Calcutta high court stated on Tuesday, possibly throwing a spanner in the state election commission’s plans to hold the polls on May 14.

Pulling up the state poll panel for not ensuring adequate security arrangements, the singlejudge bench of justice Subrata Talukdar said a division bench will determine the polling date after conducting a proper evaluation.the judge was hearing multiple petitions filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), CPI(M) and the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) in this regard.

The judge was hearing multiple petitions filed by the BJP, CPI(M) and the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS) in this regard. Opposition parties have accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of resorting to violence and intimidation tactics ahead of the rural polls

“We are glad that the court has focused on the security aspect (of the elections). It stated that the polling date can be announced only after security arrangements are finalised,” said PDS general secretary Samir Putatunda.

But Kalyan Banerjee, Lok Sabha MP and advocate for the Trinamool Congress said: “The court has only ruled that polling on May 14 is tentative. Polling will be held on that day if the court is satisfied with security arrangements.”