Govt notifies poll with new dates,old condition

However,on the issue of deployment of Central forces,the main reason for the conflict between the two,Chatterjee reiterated the government’s earlier position that it would deploy the state armed forces and not the central forces for conducting the elections to the three-tier panchayat system. “Adequate number of security forces would be provided from state armed police,and forces could be brought from the other states,if required,” he told the court.

Later speaking to The Indian Express,Chatterjee said he was hopeful of the commission accepting the fresh dates and issuing the matching notification on Friday. “The state government wants the elections to be held in a peaceful and hassle-free manner and in accordance with law and that is why the fresh dates have been issued. For conducting free and fair elections the government was ready to bring armed police from other states. I discussed the matter with the counsels of the commission and they said they would get back to us soon.’’

However,a counsel for the commission said the notification did not address all the issues raised by the them. “There were issues like deployment of central forces,which were not addressed. But the matter is still under discussion,’’ the counsel said.

State Election Commissioner Meera Pandey refused to comment on the matter saying it was “sub-judice”.

In the court,Chatterjee pleaded that the poll cannot be held on April 26 and 30,as notified by the government earlier,in the absence of the commission’s issuing a parallel notification for initiating the poll process.

Samaraditya Pal,the counsel of the state election commission,was not enthused by the government’s move and said the latest notification once again avoided the issue of the deployment of the central forces. He said that at least 300 companies of the central para-military forces would be required in the state for the smooth conduct of the polls from the date of the filing of nominations.

He said for free and fair conduct of elections during the last Assembly as well as parliament election,central forces were deployed in the state. To which Justice Somadder asked the Advocate General: “Same people are involved in the Assembly and panchayat elections. People do not change. How can your perspective change if people remain same?’’

The judge then requested commission’s counsel and the Advocate General to sit together over the weekend so that something could be worked out. The next hearing has been fixed for Tuesday.

Earlier during the hearing,Pal,quoting a letter of the poll panel to the state government,submitted that the commission had repeatedly said that the elections be held in three phases with deployment of 800 companies of central paramilitary forces on consideration of situation prevailing in the districts. He said the state government had sought elections in two phases,the reasons for which were not explained.

The phasing of the elections and choice of districts in each phase was the prerogative of the commission,he submitted and the state had no authority to announce the phases and districts for such phases.

Pal also accused the government of delay in giving the names of 400 poll observers.

Attempt to make poll process a mockery: Oppn

The government’s fresh notification for the panchayat polls evoked sharp reaction from the Opposition as they called it another attempt by the government to undermine the poll process. “It’s a bogus attempt. They are trying to sell their old argument in a fresh manner,’’ said CPM leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. State Congress chief Pradip Bhattacharya said: “The government is making a mockery of the process. Without addressing the real issues like deployment of central forces,they have made the announcement.”