Bengal poll
Calcutta HC orders deployment of central forces in Bengal Panchayat poll
Kolkata/IBNS: The Calcutta High Court Tuesday ordered the West Bengal State Election Commission to ensure the deployment of central paramilitary forces for the July 8 Panchayat polls in the state.
A double bench of Calcutta High Court also directed the commission that in addition to the deployment of the central forces in all sensitive districts, it should also ensure the installation of CCTV cameras at every booth and corner of the counting centres across the state.
The seven sensitive districts are East Midnapore. Birbhum, North 24 Parganas (partly), South 24 Parganas, Jalpaiguri, Hooghly, and Murshidabad.
The court, however, did not alter the election schedule set by State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha on June 8.
On Tuesday, the judges during the verdict stated it was up to the poll panel whether they will extend the nomination date or not.
The court directed the SEC that the counting of votes for all three tiers of the Panchayat be conducted simultaneously and at the same venue.
On June 7, former Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha was appointed as the new State Election Commissioner, and on the following day he announced the Panchayat election schedule. The election will be held in a single phase on July 8, with the counting scheduled for July 11.
The Calcutta High Court held an urgent hearing on two PILs filed by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari regarding the poll.
Meanwhile, an all-party meeting was conducted by the SEC in which, the state's ruling TMC and opposition parties BJP, Congress, and CPI(M), took part.
[With UNI inputs]
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