Bengal civic polls to be held on Feb 27

Kolkata, Feb 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) has announced that it will conduct the municipal elections in the state on February 27.

The elections were due for nearly two years but could not be held due to the Covid-19 situation.

Announcing the polls, State Election Commissioner Sourav Das said: "The municipal polls in 108 municipalities across the state will be held on February 27 and the model code of conduct will be in force from February 3 only. The last date for the filing of nomination is scheduled on February 9."

The Commissioner added that there will be elections in all the municipalities except one ward of South Dum Dum municipality.

"There is a high court directive and so we cannot conduct any election in ward number 29 of the South Dum Dum municipality," Das said.

However, the SEC didn't make any announcement of the date of counting of votes.

Meanwhile, the SEC has also announced the elections of four municipal corporations -- Siliguri, Bidhannagar, Chandannagar and Asansol -- on February 12.

The state election body had earlier announced to conduct the polls in these four municipal corporations on January 22 but following the high court directive it had to defer it to February 12.

On Wednesday, the poll panel convened an all-party meeting in which the Congress urged the former to postpone the elections amid the Covid-19 situation even as the Trinamool Congress said they would abide by the panel's decision.

The Left and the BJP demanded that the counting also be held on the polling day.

Source: IANS