Even as the Trinamool Congress continued with its electoral success in the majority of local bodies polls, whose results were announced on Wednesday, the Left Front recorded an emphatic victory at Siliguri Mohakama Parishad.
Only a few months ago, the Left parties had wrested the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. In the results of Siliguri Mohakama Parishad, the Left Front won six of out nine seats.
In others like Murshidabad, Bankura, Birbhum and Nadia, the Trinamool Congress won majority of seats in over 80 gram panchayats that went to polls. The ruling party won over 75 seats of the seats in this district.
However, the loss at Siliguri came as an embarrassment for the party. Senior Trinamool Congress and State Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said the campaign by the Opposition in Siliguri was of a “very low standard” where political ideologies did not matter.
The Left Front, however described it as a major victory.
Alapan Bandyopadhyay new SEC
Taking charge as the West Bengal State Election Commissioner, Alapan Bandyopadhyay said that there will be no re-polling on Thursday.
Before resigning on Tuesday, former SEC Susanta Ranjan Upadhyay announced that re-polling in some booths of the Asansol and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation would be held on Thursday and counting of votes will be on Saturday.
“Our discussion is still gong on. But it can be said that there will be no re-polling tomorrow because there is no time,” Mr. Bandyopadhyay told journalists.
Questions raised over his appointment
Opposition parties have raised questions over the appointment of a serving IAS officer as the head of West Bengal State Election Commission -- a constitutional body.
Though there are reports that Mr. Bandyopadhyay will relinquish his responsibility as Principal Secretary State Transport Department, his appointment is being questioned.
Those in Opposition say that he will be guided by the wishes of the State government and will not be able to take any decision that goes against the interest of the ruling party.
“There is no Act of the State Election Commission with which prevents the appointment of a serving officer as the State Election Commissioner. However, the spirit of Constitution and as per convention those appointed to the post in the past have been retired officers,” Biswnath Chakraborty, political analyst and professor at Rabindra Bharati University told The Hindu .
Mr. Bandyopadhyay avoided a direct reply as to whether his appointment as a serving officer with the State Government will allow him to perform his duties objectively.
“The West Bengal Government invoking a particular legal provision has duly appointed me as the State Election Commissioner. I have complied with that order. Since when lawful compliance of a lawful order by a lawfully constituted government has been an offence…What have I done,” he said.
