West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has returned the joining report of State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha ahead of the Panchayat polls, according to sources. This came after Sinha failed to attend a discussion called by the governor over the sensitive matter related to the Panchayat election issue.
Sinha was appointed as the SEC on June 8, having served as the state’s chief secretary from September 2019 to September 2020. The final day of filing nominations on June 15 saw continued clashes across various parts of the state, including violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum’s Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown.
The Panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held in a single phase on July 8, with the counting of votes scheduled for July 11. The polls are expected to be a fierce contest between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress, and are being seen as a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
