Calcutta High Court Postpones Panchayat Polls in Bengal As Opposition Claims Foul Play

On April 20, Calcutta High court has ordered the West Bengal State Election Commission to reschedule panchayat elections in Bengal, which were scheduled to take place on May 1, 2 and 5. This comes as a setback to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, which was in favour of not changing the dates. Before this, the State Election Commission had extended the nomination dates till April 10, but on the next day itself, it was rolled back, allegedly under the pressure of the ruling Trinamool Congress. The opposition parties had filed a petition in the HC against this decision of the State Election Commission.

The opposition parties have welcomed this decision and have called it a ‘victory of democracy’. 

This decision means that the deadline for filing nominations has been extended as well, as elections can happen only after the process of filing nominations is finished. 

In the decision, the court also stated that the Election Commission should ensure “free and fair” elections in the state.

It has to be recalled that during the process of filing nominations, goons – allegedly from the ruling party – were attacking the opposition leaders and their cadres. There are reports of TMC goons in different areas of Bengal stopping opposition leaders, especially CPI(M) candidates, from filing their nominations. Videos and pictures of goons beating up opposition carders, hurling bombs, pelting stones and attacking opposition leaders’ vehicles had surfaced on social media. Pictures of TMC goons beating up Left-wing women supporters were also widely circulated. Pictures and videos of CPI(M) candidates going to file nominations with bows and arrows had become viral on social media . All these attacks happened between April 2 and April 9, when candidates were supposed to file their nominations.

Opposition parties had alleged that TMC wants to win the elections unopposed, by not letting the opposition file nominations.

This was evident by the number of nominations filed by different parties .On April 9, after the process of nominations ended, TMC has filed 58,000-odd nominations, BJP had filed about 35,000 nominations, CPI(M) 22,000 and the Congress even less.

On April 6, former MP and Central Committee member of CPI(M) Dr Ramchandra Dom was also brutally attacked by TMC goons, allegedly. Reports claim that this happened when he was leading the Left candidates to file their nomination papers in Nalhati, Birbhum district of West Bengal. He suffered a head injury.