West Bengal is gearing up for the panchayat polls, which will be held in a single phase on July 8, according to the newly-appointed State Election Commissioner, Rajiva Sinha. The election is set to take place for two tiers in Darjeeling and Kalimpong district, and for three tiers in the rest of the state. The process of nomination will take place from July 9 to June 15, with the last day of nomination withdrawal on June 20. Polling will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with results expected on July 11.
While this puts the polling period during the arrival of monsoons in West Bengal, Sinha assured reporters that it will not pose much of a problem for the election. There has been no word on central paramilitary forces deployment at this time, as the State Election Commissioner has stated that discussions are needed with the state government. Online nomination has not been confirmed yet, as it is too early to make any statements according to Sinha.
The panchayat polls will encompass 58,694 seats in 3,317 gram panchayats scattered over 22 districts in West Bengal. With this in mind, it’s important to have faith in the state government to conduct fair and free polls, according to Sinha.
