Central Trade Unions Discontent With WB EC After Panchayat Elections Announced on May Day

All the Central Trade Unions, including CITU, AITUC and INTUC, have expressed strong discontent at the decision of the State Election commission in West Bengal to hold the Panchayat elections, spread across all districts of the state, baring Darjeeling, on May Day.

It can be recalled that it is the first time in the history of the country, that an election has been scheduled on May Day. This day is also observed as the International Working Class Solidarity day, by the United Nations, and considered to be an important day for the working class, throughout the globe.

On April 1, the West Bengal State Election Commissioner AK Singh had held a press conference in his office in Rawdon Street, where he announced the ‘dates of the three phased polls for the three-tier panchayat system in West Bengal. They were to be held on 1st, 3rd and 5th of May and the results were to be declared on May 9.

Interestingly, May 9 is also the birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, a cultural Icon throughout the country and the globe and whose Birth anniversary is celebrated throughout the state. Intellectuals have also expressed their resentment over choosing May 9 as the day of counting and announcement of the results.

A delegation of all the Central Trade Unions, operating in West Bengal, will meet with Singh on April 2 and will urge him to change the dates for the polls. The Trade Unions will also agitate before the West Bengal elections Commissions’ Office, while the delegation will visit the Election Commissioner.

In the past few years, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has many times undermined the role of the state election commission and changed the Election Commissioner couple of times, after forcing the incumbents to resign. However, this time when asked on this, she sternly told the press that the Election Commission is a separate constitutional entity, who can decide on any arbitrary date, which they choose fit, to hold the elections.

Talking to Newsclick, Anadi Sahu, General Secretary of CITU West Bengal Committee, expressed his resentment towards the attempt to hold elections on May Day and has warned that the Trade Unions in a unified manner will go to the Court if the State Election Commissioner does not bulge over his stance.

“This is unprecedented in the history of the country after Independence, that the elections will be held on May Day. Working Class won’t allow the infringement on its rights, at any cost.