Kolkata, June 13: The Calcutta High Court Tuesday refused to consider the PILs seeking an extension of time for filing of nominations for the July 8 panchayat polls in West Bengal and left it to the discretion of the State Election Commission to take a call.

The Court held an urgent hearing on two PILs filed by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and BJP's Suvendu Adhikari regarding the upcoming Panchayat elections scheduled for July 8. West Bengal Panchayat Elections 2023: BJP Fights To Retain Main Opposition Space Amid Congress-Left Resurgence.

The court further ordered the requisition and deployment of central forces in all areas declared sensitive by the State Election Commission (SEC) for the polls. West Bengal Panchayat Elections 2023: Vote for Strongest Opponent Where We Won’t Have Candidate, Says BJP Leader Suvendu Adhikari.

"In areas where Central forces are not deployed, it should be the responsibility of the State Police. SEC should ensure the safety of the polling agents. SEC should and shall consider the requisition of deployment of Central Paramilitary forces for sensitive areas," the court said in its order.

In addition to the deployment of Central forces, the court also ordered the SEC to install CCTV cameras at every booth and corner of the counting centers. The court further directed that the counting of votes for all three tiers of the Panchayat be conducted simultaneously and at the same venue.

Regarding the appointment of observers during polls, the court said that the SEC has stated that it will appoint observers from the cadre of senior officers and so the court will not be interfering in the matter.

"The mandate of the election commission is to have free and fair elections. We are of the view that appointment of observers from senior officers of West Bengal civil services is a sufficient safeguard for free and fair elections," the court said.

On June 8, Rajiva Sinha announced the Panchayat election schedule just one day after being appointed as the new State Election Commissioner. The election will be held in a single phase on July 8, with vote counting scheduled for July 11.

Speaking on the verdict, Advocate and Lok Sabha TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, "Court has rejected Suvendu Adhikari's petition. The first petition was setting aside the election process from the issuance of the notification under sections 42 and 43 and the second was regarding the change of the date of filing nomination for panchayat polls."

Panchayat polls in West Bengal will witness a fierce contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress as they will be seen as a litmus test ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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