Three-phased Bengal panchayat polls on May 1, 3 and 5; counting on May 8

KOLKATA: The crucial panchayat elections in West Bengal that is expected to be a tough battleground between ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP will be conducted in three phases on May 1, 3 and 5, declared the State Election Commission. Results will be declared on May 8.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Amarendra Kumar Singh stated that 20 of the 23 districts will go to polls. While Kolkata district is under a municipal corporation, Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts come under the purview of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.

“Twelve south Bengal districts Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Burdwan, Paschim Burdwan, Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur will go to polls in the first phase on May 1. Murshidabad and Birbhum will go to polls in the second phase on May 3 while six north Bengal districts Coochbehar, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda will go to polls in the third phase,” he said.

"Re-poll if required for May 1 election will be conducted on May 3. Subsequent dates for required re-poll for May 3 and May 5 elections are May 5 and May 7 respectively. Nominations will begin from April 2 up till April 9. The last date for withdrawal of nomination is April 16," Singh added.

However, opposition parties expressed dissatisfaction with the dates of the vote. 

“Board exams will end only on May 12. While TMC had gone to court in 1999 against votes during exams and won High Court ruling, it is repeating the same. Though we are ready to fight TMC electorally, we are considering legal options regarding dates of the elections,” state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said.

On the other hand, Left Front Assembly leader Sujan Chakraborty felt it was an insult to the working class to conduct elections on International Labour Day on May 1. 

“The administration has not bothered to discuss the dates of the election considering exams and volatile situation of the state,” he said.

On Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demand to conduct elections without paramilitary forces, SEC Singh remained tight-lipped but Opposition demanded that central forces be deployed to ensure free and fair election.

Some 5.8 crore people will elect representatives to over 48,751 Gram Panchayat constituencies of the state. The panchayat elections are considered the precursor to major elections and are marked by political violence.