SEC meets Governor: Amid violent incidents in various parts of West Bengal ahead of the panchayat elections, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha on Sunday met Governor CV Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan.
Sinha had earlier failed to appear before the Governor after he was summoned for an explanation of the incidents of murders, violence, and clashes during nomination filing for the panchayat elections.
The Governor had criticised the SEC over the alleged lack of proactive steps saying that Sinha belied the faith he reposed in him by appointing him to the post.
Sinha reached Raj Bhavan to meet Bose on Sunday evening after the governor said earlier in the day that the SEC had sought to meet him.
What Bose said
“The state election commissioner requested an appointment with the governor. I indicated I want to discuss some important points. Once he is ready, he is welcome to come even today or any other day," Bose said.
He said that vital points regarding the rural polls are required to be discussed with the commissioner. He said that important issues pertaining to the rural elections must be discussed with the commissioner.
Opposition parties alleged that their candidates were intimidated and assaulted to debar them from filing nomination papers by people owing allegiance to the TMC in many places.
Eight people died and several others were injured in various parts of the state in the past two weeks due to the violence over the filing of nominations for the three-tier panchayat polls. The governor had visited a couple of violence-affected places.
822 companies of central forces for Panchayat polls, SEC tells Calcutta High Court
The State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday (June 23) told the Calcutta High Court that a total of 822 companies of central forces have been requisitioned for the July 8 panchayat polls in West Bengal, including 485 companies which were besides the 337 companies already asked for.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, which was hearing a contempt petition that the high court's orders were disobeyed willingly by the SEC, directed the commission to file an affidavit informing if it has complied with the court’s orders regarding holding free and fair panchayat polls.
(With PTI inputs)
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