Kolkata, April 1 (IANS) After days of stalemate, the West Bengal Election Commission Monday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking rejection of the panchayat election date notified by the state government.
The commission approached the court of Justice Biswanath Samaddar, who directed counsel L.C. Bihani to get the petition listed before it can be taken up.
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government has been engaged in a war of words and letters with the election panel over the scheduling of the dates and deployment of central paramilitary forces.
On March 22, the government had announced two-phased polls to be held April 26 and April 30, under the supervision of the state police personnel.
This ran counter to the commission’s suggestion of a three-stage poll, with deployment of central paramilitary troopers.
The commission has been asking for 800 companies of central paramilitary troopers, but the government has indicated its willingness to only rope in police personnel from neighbouring states.
