West Bengal panchayat elections 2018: Poll date finally announced; set for May 14

West Bengal panchayat elections 2018: Rural polls in the state will be held on a single day on May 14, the State Election Commission (SEC) announced today. Earlier, the SEC had announced that the polling would be held in three phases on May 1, 2 and 5. The polling had to be deferred after opposition parties moved courts alleging violence and intimidation by the ruling party during the nomination process. 

"The panchayat election will be held on May 14," a spokesman of the SEC told newsmen here.  

Cong's West Bengal chief meets Rajnath, demands President's rule in state

The Congress today demanded imposition of President's rule in West Bengal and urged Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to send a team to assess the law and order situation in the state. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the president of the Congress in West Bengal, met Singh today and apprised him of the "deteriorating" law and order situation in the state.

He told the home minister that the State Election Commission did not not even honour the Calcutta High Court order directing it to hold meaningful consultations with all stakeholders on security arrangements for the panchayat elections.

"I demanded President's rule in West Bengal. The West Bengal chief minister has already said she has won 100 seats... Without imposing President's rule, no one will be able to exercise their democratic right. This is the need of the hour," Chowdhury told reporters after meeting Singh.

Chowdhury has also urged the Centre to send a team to access the law and order situation in the state.
"I want the central team to see how the cadres and goons of the state government are spreading violence and stopping the opposition and people to exercise their right to participate in the panchayat elections," he said.

The Congress leader said that since West Bengal shares a porous border with Bangladesh, the deteriorating law and order situation threatens national security.