West Bengal polls: Setback for BJP with Supreme Court’s decision

It seems as though the West Bengal panchayat polls will a difficult time for the state with all the clashes breaking out between the parties.

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to intervene in the West Bengal panchayat polls on a Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) plea alleging that nomination papers are not being given to Opposition candidates.

The top court, however, granted liberty to all candidates to approach the West Bengal state election commission for appropriate relief.

“We have not interfered with the election process but we have granted liberty to all candidates to approach state election commission today itself for necessary relief,” a bench of Justice RK Agrawal and Justice AM Sapre said.

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The plea also sought availability of nomination papers online, an extension of the last date of filing these papers, re-scheduling of the Gram Panchayat election and deployment of paramilitary forces in West Bengal in the run-up to the polls which are scheduled in the first week of May.

On Friday, the apex court had reserved its order after BJP sought the deployment of paramilitary forces alleging that its candidates were being denied the nomination papers by the block development officers, and were being targeted by members of the ruling party in the state. The BDOs have been designated assistant panchayat electoral registration officers to give and accept the nomination papers.

During the filing of nominations for the rural polls in West Bengal on Friday, violence was reported from Birbhum, Bankura and Murshidabad districts in which many people were injured.

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Clashes broke out in several districts in West Bengal on Saturday too between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) activists and Opposition parties in the continuing political violence during the filing of nominations for the May panchayat polls, police said, even as nearly 2,000 people were held in the state.

On Sunday, West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said he heard both versions (BJP and TMC) of what happened but refused to disclose what action he planned to take.

“I have heard TMC’s version and that of other political parties. I will not disclose what action I will take,” he said.