West Bengal govt suspends all college union elections for six months

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Monday announced state-wide suspension of college union elections for six months in view of various board examinations, besides the upcoming panchayat elections.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said this was necessary as different board examinations were lined up for the next two to three months, starting from Madrasa examination and panchayat elections in the state. It would be difficult for the government to deploy force in all instances together and thus there was no other way but to defer college union elections, she said.

Announcing the decision earlier, state Education Minister Bratya Basu said the season of examinations would start with the Madrasa test followed by ICSC, ISC, CBSE and West Bengal Board Examination, besides various competitive entrance examinations.

Mamata Banerjee said this was necessary as different board examinations were lined up for the next two to three months.

"Thus, it would be difficult for the government to arrange for adequate security for examinations and college union elections simultaneously for want of adequate force," Basu said.

The entire process of college elections would remain suspended for the next six months till further order, even if it had begun in some institutions, the minister said.

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