New Delhi: The Centre on Tuesday turned down West Bengal Chief Mininster Mamata Banerjee's demand for central forces during the panchayat elections in the state. Sources reveal that the Home Ministry turned down the demand saying it was the state government's responsibility to provide security for such polls.
However, the West Bengal State Election commission and the Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee are yet to confirm the development. The matter is expected to be decided by a court, which will take a decision during a hearing on Wednesday.
"We do not provide Central forces to any state. These are local bodies' polls," said an official in the Home Ministry. West Bengal government had demanded 300 companies (around 30,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces from the Centre for the panchayat polls.
On Monday, Mamata had rejected the State Election Commission's demand for 1.49 lakh security personnel for the first phase of panchayat polls scheduled for next month, saying the state did not have requisite forces. State Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra also said a fresh proposal is being sent to the Home Ministry seeking Central Paramilitary forces for the panchayat polls scheduled from July 2. ...
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05:36 PM, Jun 18, 2013
Kolkata: The Left Front on Tuesday accused West Bengal's State Election Commission (SEC) of failing to implement security measures for the upcoming panchayat (rural body) polls as directed by the Calcutta High Court. Left parties will hold demonstrations outside of the office of commission demanding adequate security for the polls. "The SEC has failed to implement the court's order on security issues regarding the panchayat election," said Left Front chairman...
05:25 AM, Jun 12, 2013
Kolkata: With the State Election Commission having held that it would not compromise on security for next month's grassroot polls, West Bengal Panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee on Tuesday said that only the court could decide on its postponement. "Elections will be held. All preparations are underway and filing of nominations are on. The matter is now in court and only the court can say if the elections are not to...
07:55 PM, Jun 11, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal Advocate General Bimal Chatterjee's remark in the Calcutta High Court likening the State Election Commission to a beautiful woman on Tuesday generated controversy, with Congress demanding his resignation. "One after the other, like a beautiful lady, demands are being made by the Commission," Chatterjee said in the court. He later sought to clarify that his remark was aimed at the institution and not at State Election Commissioner...
10:39 PM, Jun 04, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal Election Commissioner Mira Pandey will move the court again on Monday over the state government's proposal to use security forces in booths and polling stations. The state Election Commission issued notification for the three-tier panchayat election in the state on May 27, which set in motion the poll process from May 29. The district magistrates are getting ready to conduct the polls on the basis of the...
09:05 AM, Jun 03, 2013
Lahore: The PPP will field senior leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim against PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif for the election of the new premier in Parliament on June 5, rejecting a request to facilitate an unanimous vote. Former federal minister Fahim heads the Pakistan Peoples Part Parliamentarians, the name under which the party is registered with the Election Commission. He will be Pakistan Peoples Party's candidate for the election to be held...
01:10 PM, May 31, 2013
Jaipur: The Election Commission will give special focus to monitoring of expenditure by candidates and paid news in upcoming polls, Deputy Chief Election Commissioner Sudhir Tripathi said on Wednesday. Discussing with district collectors through video conference preparations for the polls, Tripathi said there will be some changes in priority areas of the EC and monitoring of expenditure by candidates, and paid news will be among them. He directed the officials...
04:46 AM, May 30, 2013
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday attacked Lokayukta Manmohan Sarin, saying the ombudsman had gone beyond his legal boundaries and norms by indicting her for something that happened in 2008. She also insisted that there is no corruption in the Delhi government. "Whatever the Lokayukta has done is beyond his legal boundaries and norms. Something happened in 2008, why are they remembering it now," Sheila asked during...
02:47 AM, May 30, 2013
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday attacked Lokayuta Manmohan Sarin, saying the ombudsman had gone beyond his legal boundaries and norms by indicting her for something that happened in 2008. "Whatever the Lokayukta has done is beyond his legal boundaries and norms. Something happened in 2008, why are they remembering it now?" She was referring to Sarin's report indicting her for misusing public funds for "political purpose"...
07:31 PM, May 29, 2013
Kolkata: The West Bengal State Election Commission would issue notification for the three-tier panchayat election in the state on Monday, State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey on Sunday said. The notification will set in motion the poll process from May 29. Once SEC issues the notification, district magistrates will follow suit in their regions on the basis of the schedule for the poll to be held on July 2, 6 and...
11:14 PM, May 26, 2013
Kolkata: The State Election Commission on Tuesday agreed to the formula proposed by the West Bengal government for district wise holding of the panchayat elections in three phases and said the polls would be notified this week. "As of now, yes. We will issue the notification by this week," State Election Commissioner Mira Pandey said when asked whether the SEC has agreed to the 9-4-4 district distribution formula by the...
02:01 AM, May 22, 2013
Kolkata: The West Bengal Election Commission on Friday announced dates for the Panchayat elections in the state. The elections will be held in three phases on July 2, 6 and 10. The results will be announced three days later. The state government's demand for a two-phase polling was earlier shot down by the Calcutta High Court. The state election commission though said that the court order was not clear on...
04:55 PM, May 17, 2013
Kolkata: There were differences at a meeting on Thursday between the State Election Commission (SEC) and the West Bengal government over fixing dates for the three-tier panchayat elections after the Calcutta High Court's direction that the two mutually agree on it. "We suggested certain dates and they (state government) also placed some dates for the panchayat election to be held in three phases as per the High Court order," State...
06:10 PM, May 16, 2013
Kolkata: A day after the Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government and the State Election Commission to mutually decide on dates for the panchayat election, a move has been initiated by both to hold a meeting on Thursday. The meeting will take place amidst a deadline set by the High Court to complete the poll process by July 15. SEC secretary Tapas Roy told reporters that the meeting...
05:56 PM, May 15, 2013
Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Tuesday hailed the Calcutta High Court order on panchayat elections as "historic." "This is a historic order of the hon'ble High Court and we are very happy," state panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee said. A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday rejected the State Election Commission (SEC) order for 800 companies of central forces to man the panchayat polls, and directed that...
03:46 PM, May 14, 2013
Kolkata: In a breather for the Mamata Banerjee government, the division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said that it is not mandatory to deploy central paramilitary forces for the upcoming Panchayat polls. The West Bengal government had appealed the higher bench after a single bench upheld the State Election Commission's plea for three-phase polling and deployment of central forces. The State government wanted two-phase polling and security...
01:11 PM, May 14, 2013
Kolkata: Delivering a double blow to West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee government, the Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered CBI probe into a Trinamool Congress worker's death allegedly in police custody and refused to suspend its earlier verdict upholding the primacy of the State Election Commission. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice JM Bagchi took the twin decisions hearing separate cases within a gap of hours in...
04:42 AM, May 14, 2013
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has deferred till Tuesday the hearing related to the tussle between West Bengal and the state election commission over the number of phases in the Panchayat election. West Bengal government on Monday filed a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this...
06:50 PM, May 13, 2013
Kolkata: West Bengal government will on Monday file a fresh appeal to a higher bench against an old judgement that upheld the supremacy of state election commission while conducting Panchayat polls. The crucial rural polls are slated in June this year. In a setback to the state government, the Calcutta High Court had Friday directed that these elections would be held in three phases using central armed forces on dates...
09:34 AM, May 13, 2013
Nearly 60 per cent people took part in the voting process in Pakistan General Elections. The Pakistan Election Commissioner said, "We were all waiting for this day, the day of empowerment of the people" ...
09:30 AM, May 12, 2013
