In advance of the July 8 panchayat elections, West Bengal Governor Dr. CV Ananda Bose on Wednesday night refused to accept the joining report of State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha, a well-placed source at the Raj Bhavan reported.
The action was taken a few hours after Sinha ignored a summons to come before Bose and give an explanation for the deaths, acts of violence, and altercations that occurred during the filing of nominations for the panchayat election earlier this month, according to the source.
The SEC’s appointment authority is the governor. ‘The governor tonight returned the joining report of SEC Rajiva Sinha. The SEC failed to appear before the Governor even when he wanted him to come to Raj Bhavan over the incidents of murders, violence and clashes,’ the source told PTI.
When the Governor summoned Sinha to the Raj Bhavan on June 17, Sinha failed to show up, claiming that he was too busy reviewing candidates’ nominations for the upcoming panchayat elections.
The previous state chief secretary had asked Bose to schedule a meeting for any other day and excuse him from appearing before him during the day.
On June 7, the governor gave Sinha the go-ahead to apply for the position of SEC. He announced the date for the three-tier panchayat elections the very following day.
Sanjay Bansal, a senior official, was appointed by the West Bengali government as a second State Election Commissioner on June 14.
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