Bengal election commissioner meets governor over rural polls

KOLKATA THE LEFT FRONT, BJP AND CONGRESS ALLEGED THAT THE RULING TMC PREVENTED THEIR CANDIDATES FROM FILING NOMINATION PAPERS.

: Amidst reports of violence during filing of nominations for the panchayat polls in West Bengal, the State Election Commissioner met Governor K N Tripathi on Wednesday and briefed him about the poll preparations.

Alleging that the SEC is “incapable” of holding peaceful elections, the BJP said it has decided to move the Supreme Court with a plea to make arrangements for free and fair polls.

“I had come to meet the governor and I briefed him about the preparations for the polls,” State Election Commissioner A K Singh told reporters after meeting Tripathi at the Raj Bhavan here.

Chief Secretary Moloy De, who was summoned, also met the governor separately.

The BJP, Left Front and Congress alleged that the ruling TMC unleashed a reign of terror in various parts of the state and prevented opposition candidates from filing nominations.

The Trinamool Congress had termed the allegations “baseless”.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “We will move the Supreme court so that the panchayat polls can be held in a free, fair and peaceful manner. We want deployment of central forces as the SEC is totally incapable of holding free and fair polls.”

BJP workers today held a demonstration outside the state election commission office here demanding free and fair elections.

The rural polls in West Bengal will be held in 20 districts on May 1, 3 and 5. The filing of the nominations began on April 2 and will continue till April 9.