The election commissioner of the state is a servant of the Trinamool : Political heat, controversies and accusations surround panchayat elections
The political heat have started to rise with the upcoming panchayat elections. On Wednesday, the State Election Commission released the draft list of the new seat arrangement of the three-tier panchayat system of the state’s 20 districts. It has the potential to increase the number of seats at all levels. But the dispute between the ruling party and the opposition party has started.
As per rules, the burden of law and order in Panchayat elections rests with the respective state administration. Accordingly, Nabanna said that the Panchayat elections will be held with the state police. But the opposition strongly objected to it. At a function in Kanthi on Wednesday, state opposition leader Subvendu Adhikari warned of going to court if panchayat polls are conducted by the state police. Opposition leaders were present at the Bijoya Sammilani function of BJP’s Kanthi organizational district at Kanthi Town Hall. Expressing anger over the role of the police in the Kanthi by-elections, he demanded that the panchayat elections be conducted by central forces. He said, if the demand is not met, they will go to court.
The Congress has raised its voice by objecting to the state police. On this day in Kandi, Murshidabad, Pradesh Congress President Adhir Chowdhury threatened to go to court if necessary, mocking the State Election Commission as a branch organization of Trinamool. He said, “The election commissioner of the state is a servant of the Trinamool leaders. Naturally, the election commission here will not say that panchayat polls should be conducted by central forces.” Adhir complained, “We have seen that elections are not held like this in municipal or panchayats here. This is a farce. We don’t want elections in this manner. I will do whatever I can, even goto court”
Trinamool did not stop to sneer at this statement of the opposition. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Those who are talking so much about elections with state police, should not amend the country’s constitution and make another alternative system in their own states too! Where it is clearly stated in the constitution, which vote will be done by the central forces, which vote will be done by the state police. The state government is not doing it as it wants. It is constitutionally recognized.” In this regard, Kunal raised the issue of terrorism in the bypolls in BJP-ruled Tripura.
The number of seats in the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections in the state is going to increase in each tier. On Wednesday, the State Election Commission tri-tiered the 20 districts of the state
This possibility has arisen in the release of the new draft list of panchayat system seat arrangement. The draft list released by the commission on this day has said that the seats at the zilla parishad, panchayat samiti and gram panchayat levels have increased compared to 2018. According to the published draft list, the total 825 seats in the district council in 2018 have increased to 928. That means 103 seats increase in Zilla Parishad. Similarly, 281 seats are increasing at Panchayat Samiti level. There the total number of seats has increased from 9217 to 9498. The number of seats in Gram Panchayats has increased in significant bodies. In the draft list, compared to 2018, there are a total of 13 thousand 712 seats in Gram Panchayat. In the last panchayat polls, there were total gram panchayat seats in the state. 48,650. This year it is increasing to 62,362. The commission said that till November 2, the people of these 20 districts will be able to submit their demands for amendments and revisions in the draft list to the respective district commissioners and the state election commission. From 7th to 16th November, the revision of the list will be done accordingly. The final list will be published in the last week of November. The reservation work for the posts of Principal, Deputy Principal, President, Vice President, President, Vice President will start from the first week of December which will continue throughout the month of December.
