SEC sticks to its stand,wants panchayat polls in 3 phases

The conflict between the state government and the State Election Commission (SEC) over fixing of dates and arrangement of security forces for the panchayat elections reached a crescendo with the commission refusing to accept the West Bengal government’s proposal of holding the elections in two phases and sticking to its stand of holding it in three phases.

The other point on which the commission differed with the state government was about the security personnel. While the government wants the state police and some forces other than the ‘state forces’ for maintenance of law and order,the commission wanted to have central paramilitary forces for all the 60,000 booths.

“We have stuck to our stand of holding the elections in three phases — on April 28,May 2 and May 6. We have also asked for 800 companies of central paramilitary forces as we need two CPF jawans for each of the booths,” an official of the commission told The Indian Express.