The State Election Commission (SEC) of West Bengal has scheduled an all-party meeting on Tuesday to address the demands and grievances raised by political parties regarding the upcoming panchayat elections on July 8. The meeting aims to discuss the prevailing law and order situation and provide a platform for parties to voice their concerns. However, with just two days left for filing nominations, tensions have escalated in the state due to a series of clashes and allegations of candidate obstruction.
West Bengal’s State Election Commission, headed by Rajiva Sinha, has called for an all-party meeting to facilitate dialogue between political parties and the commission regarding the panchayat elections. The SEC aims to address concerns related to the law and order situation while providing an opportunity for parties to voice their grievances and suggestions.
Opposition parties, such as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), have expressed skepticism about the meeting. The BJP has asserted that the meeting will yield no significant results, while the CPI(M) has questioned the purpose of holding the meeting at such a late stage when the nomination filing deadline is approaching.
Recent clashes and instances of vandalism at party offices have heightened tensions in West Bengal. Opposition parties have accused workers affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress of preventing their candidates from filing nominations. The timing of the all-party meeting has raised concerns among opposition leaders, with senior CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty suggesting that the SEC may not be adequately prepared to hold the elections and criticizing Rajiva Sinha’s leadership.
In contrast, the Trinamool Congress has welcomed the SEC’s decision to convene the all-party meeting. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh downplayed opposition concerns, claiming that the opposition parties were anticipating defeat in the elections and were using excuses to justify their lack of viable candidates.
To maintain law and order during the nomination filing process, the SEC has directed district magistrates and superintendents of police to impose Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits the assembly of a large number of people, within a one-kilometer radius of all nomination centers.
As West Bengal prepares for the panchayat elections on July 8, an all-party meeting has been called by the State Election Commission to address the concerns and demands of political parties. However, opposition parties remain skeptical about the effectiveness of the meeting, given the limited time remaining for filing nominations. Tensions have escalated due to clashes and allegations of candidate obstruction. The meeting will provide a platform for parties to express their grievances and suggestions while discussing the prevailing law and order situation in the state.