WB Panchayat Polls

The HC had refused to interfere in the process started by the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) for conducting the polls for the three-tier panchayat system

With the panchayat elections round the corner in West Bengal, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP claimed in the Assembly on Friday that 34 per cent of the seats had gone uncontested in the 2018 polls and won by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Claiming that the panchayat elections of 2003 during the CPI(M)-led Left Front rule and the 2018 polls under the TMC regime have set bitter precedents, Adhikari said that he hopes that the state government will help the State Election Commission hold free and fair elections in 2023. He said that 34 per cent of the seats had gone uncontested under the TMC rule in the 2018 panchayat elections in the state. Participating in the debate on budgetary demands for the financial year 2023-24 for the Panchayat department of the state, he said that of the total 78,492 seats, 20,269 were uncontested and won by the ruling party in the 2018 panchayat elections. Adhikari claimed that there remains much to be done to ensure that true ...

Notification for the panchayat elections has been stayed by the Calcutta High Court until February 27

Among the major departments, the allocation for panchayats and rural development is one of the highest at Rs 26,603.51 crore

In a public outreach programme ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal, Union minister Smriti Irani on Sunday interacted with local people and had tea with them in Kanthi town of Purba Medinipur district. The Union Women and Child Development Minister also offered puja at the Maa Nachinda temple during the day. "I won't make any political statement here. I only prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of West Bengal. Let her blessings be showered on one and all," she told reporters later. Irani also asked the people about local development issues and whether they are getting the benefits of central projects and what is their problem in a 'Chai pe Charcha' session at a tea stall on the side of Kanthi canal, a BJP leader said. Irani, who arrived in Purba Medinipur district on Saturday on a two-day visit, earlier held a meeting with BJP leaders and workers. She met the 'karyakartas' of BJP at the local level and discussed ways to strengthen the organisation in the ar

The ruling Trinamool Congress had contended that not a single candidate approached any court with the grievance that he or she had been stopped from filing nomination papers

HC also asked SEC to file a comprehensive status report on the poll process by Monday