Poll commissioner leaves for Delhi, all-party meeting put off

Amid reports of the West Bengal government filing a review petition in the Supreme Court praying for rescheduling of panchayat poll dates because of the Ramazan month, West Bengal State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey today left for Delhi cancelling tomorrow's all-party meeting.

State Election Commission sources told PTI that with the SEC leaving for Delhi today, tomorrow's all-party meeting she had called on Saturday to discuss SC order rescheduling panchayat poll dates and specifying security force deployment stood cancelled.

The SEC also cancelled the scheduled meeting with district observers today as well as tomorrow's meeting with the Home Secretary, DGP and top police officials. Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra had called on the SEC at the at the poll panel's office yesterday, presumably to discuss the date of formal notification of panchayat election and poll arrangements. There was no official briefing of the meeting.

TMC MP and lawyer Kalyan Bandhopadhay and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim had told a press conference on June 29, "We abide by the order of the Honourable Supreme Court regarding the five-phase election (from July 11). But, we are thinking of filing an appeal in the Supreme Court to complete the election process before 10 July when the Ramzan month starts."

Meanwhile, some Muslim organisations today marched in a procession towards the State Election Commission office demanding that the panchayat poll dates be refixed again in view of the Ramazan month.

The organisations have threatened to boycott the panchayat poll if their demands are not met. The apex court had on Friday rescheduled the poll dates on July 11, 15, 19, 22 and 25 and asked both state government and the Centre to arrange security force deployment accordingly to ensure a free, fair and peaceful election.