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Even a week before the scheduled polling date, the uncertainty continues over the West Bengal Panchayat election in absence of required security arrangement, needed as per Calcutta High Court's earlier order into the matter.
Due to urgency of the matter, the Division Bench of Calcutta High court, comprising Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi, heard the case twice in the day and made all efforts to settle the matter by today itself.
After an hour-long hearing in the matter starting at 10 am, court directed state government and State Election Commison (SEC) to discuss and explore the possibility of five-phase election to cut down the requirement of security arrangement in each phase. The counsels of both state government and SEC were asked to revert to the court with the outcome of the discussion at 3 pm.
Following this chief secretary and home secretary of the state held meetings with SEC officials only to inform the court later that there was no consensus.
SEC counsel told the court that it could not take the risk of conducting in absence of require security arrangement, as already 13 people have lost their lives in political violence in the state over the last one month in the run up to the poll.
State government counsel, on the other hand, argued that it had written to Centre asking for central forces, but could not get the same.As an alternative state proposed four phased-election, following which the court sought details of required security arrangement for the same.
During the hearing in the afternoon, in fact, Chief Justice Arun Mishra handed over a calculator to SEC's counsel Samaraditya Pal to do the calculation on the spot, so that court could pass an order in this respect by today itself.
However, later Division Bench of Calcutta High court asked the SEC counsel to revert back tomorrow 10 am. The court is likely to pass an order following this tomorrow.
Earlier on May 14, the same Division Bench of Calcutta High court had ordered a three-phase Panchayat election in Bengal. Accordingly, the elections were scheduled to be held on July 2, 6 and 9.
In the same order, court had also provided detailed guidelines for security arrangement, according to which, state needed about 1,40,000 personnel for the poll. However, state government could provide only 60,000 security personnel and sought the rest from Centre.
Centre's counsel today informed the court it could not provide security forces within such a short span of time especially given the huge deployment in Uttarakhand rescue work, adding that, in normal circumstances Centre does provide security personnel in local elections.
