The Election Commission has temporarily restrained the political appointees operating as administrators, or heads of the board of administrators, in five municipal corporations in West Bengal on appointment basis after the end of their elected terms, from exercising their functions during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) period.
The Commission said the decision had been taken to avoid a situation wherein critical functions of the urban local bodies were discharged, thereby affecting a level-playing field during the operation of the MCC or had the potential of giving rise to an apprehension in the minds of the voters about the fairness and impartiality of the election process.
A State Chief Secretary-led committee, comprising Principal Secretary, Urban Development, and Principal Secretary, Personnel, would appoint officials to discharge the functions, in accordance with the EC instructions.
“It is expected of Chief Secretary, West Bengal, to ensure a level-playing field in all other municipal bodies by day-to-day rigorous review of their decisions, which can disturb the level-playing field.”
The Commission took the decision after it was brought to its notice that the municipal corporations whose terms had ended were being run by the erstwhile chairpersons(s)/mayor(s) who were politically affiliated and had been appointed on completion of their respective elected terms.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has 14 such persons from the Trinamool Congress. The term of the elected body ended on May 7, 2020, and they were appointed as nominated administrators on May 6, 2020. Of them, Firhad Hakim, Atin Kumar Ghosh and Debasish Kumar are contesting the upcoming Assembly elections.
Eight from the TMC are in the Asansol Municipal Corporation while seven from the same party are in the Bidhan Nagar Municipal Corporation, one of whom — Tapash Chatterjee — is in the fray.
The Chandernagore Municipal Corporation has five such administrators affiliated to the TMC; and in Siliguri, there are five from the CPI(M) besides one each from the BJP and the Revolutionary Socialist Party. Two from the Siliguri body, Ashok Narayan Bhattacharya and Shankar Ghosh, are in the fray.
“It is evident from the above list that persons whose elected terms got over and who have active political affiliations, were appointed and are continuing as administrators or heads of board of administrators during the period of elections,” said the EC.
It said it had an immense potential to influence election-related matters or create a perception of prejudice or predilection in the minds of the electorate towards a particular political party.
