There is uncertainty once again about the panchayat elections in West Bengal following the Mamata Banerjee government’s appeal in the Supreme Court for a change of poll dates.
On Monday, state election commissioner Mira Pande left for New Delhi to participate in another bout of the legal battle with the state government.
As a result of the state election commissioner’s departure, the all-party meeting she had scheduled for Tuesday has been put off.
The latest development culminated in the cancellation of the state election commission’s scheduled meeting with district observers along with Tuesday’s meeting with state home secretary, director-general of police and additional director-general of police (law and order).
The West Bengal government filing a review petition in the apex court has jeopardised the state election commission’s attempt to conduct the panchayat polls in a free and fair manner.
When it appeared that the hurdles in the way of the panchayat polls were finally cleared, the State Election Commission found itself in deep water with the state government’s latest appeal in the apex court.