There was no sign of truce between the Bengal Government and the State Election Commission over the dates and modalities of the panchayat polls as the Commission continued to demand a three-phase election with the help of Central forces while the Government stuck to its two-phase-poll stance.
Even as State Election Commissioner Meera Pandey on Thursday met Governor MK Narayanan for the second time in two days apparently seeking a mediation, senior Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy said, “The TMC Government has come to power on popular mandate and is not surviving on any body’s mercy” adding “it would be in the fitness of things that one Constitutional body should not impose its dictation on another Constitutional body.”
The source of controversy is the timing and conduct of the polls. While the Government has announced a two-phase poll sans Central forces, the Commission wants it to be a three-phase affair with the help of 800 companies of Central forces.
Quoting the reports submitted to it by the DMs and SPs, the Commission has already sent a letter to the Government demanding to know as to how it proposed to hold a peaceful election with the help of State police when the law and order was not at its best. For the record, the State has 38,000 armed police personnel to man 58,000 booths.
While the Commission sources said that it was sending yet another letter to the Government to reconsider its decision, State Panchayat Minister Subroto Mukherjee iterated on Thursday that “there is no need for Central forces” reminding “the Government is not in a condition to spend `350 crore required for bringing Central forces.” He added the Government had already allocated `100 crore as poll expenses to the Commission “beyond which we cannot go.”
Mukherjee, however, would not dwell on how he would like to pay for the cost the Government would incur for bringing police forces from other States which he had already gone on record saying.
Amid reports that the Commission might as a last resort move the court, Mukul Roy on Thursday said, “Any measure may be taken by any authority in Bengal but only the Trinamool Congress will win the polls because the idea of Parivartan is yet go full circle. We won the lok Sabha elections then we won the State polls and now it is our turn to win the panchayat elections.” He insisted, “our party is destined to win even if you bring in Central forces, military or for that matter Interpol.”
The Governor has meanwhile summoned the Panchayat Minister on Friday for consultation.
On the other hand, experts said it would be difficult for the Commission to settle on anything less than what it has been demanding as political parties like the BJP have already warned that they might move the court if the polls were conducted in less than three phases and without Central forces.
“It is not the lookout of the people as to what money is spent for peaceful polls. They want free and fair elections which is their democratic right and the Government cannot show financial constraints to avoid that responsibility,” State BJP president Rahul Sinha said.