WB Panchayat Elections 2023: Sanjay Bansal Appointed As Additional State Election Commissioner

WB Panchayat Elections 2023: Sanjay Bansal has formerly served as the secretary to the state Backward Classes Welfare Department.

A shopkeeper displays face masks of different political leaders at a shop for sale ahead of the West Bengal Panchayat elections, in Kolkata, Wednesday, June 14, 2023.

Source : PTI

The West Bengal government appointed senior official Sanjay Bansal as the additional State Election Commissioner (SEC) on Wednesday, June 14, according to a news agency PTI source. Bansal, who formerly served as the secretary to the state Backward Classes Welfare Department, will assist the SEC in the forthcoming panchayat polls.

The PTI source revealed, "Bansal has been appointed as the additional SEC. He will aid the SEC in overseeing the panchayat polls."

Former chief secretary Rajiva Sinha assumed the role of SEC on June 7 and subsequently announced that the panchayat elections are scheduled for July 8. The decision to appoint an additional SEC stems from the prevailing violence and clashes during the nomination filing process for the panchayat election.

"The inclusion of an additional official will alleviate the burden on Sinha in supervising the election process," added the source.

Meanwhile, high drama unfolded at the SEC office on Wednesday as leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempted to enter the premises with party candidates who claimed they were unable to file their nominations for the rural polls due to alleged violence. They demanded that the SEC take necessary measures to ensure fair and impartial elections. In response, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) accused the BJP of staging a spectacle to divert attention from their failure to field candidates in all constituencies.

Despite their efforts, the BJP leaders and candidates were met with barricades and faced opposition from the police when trying to gain access to the SEC office, resulting in chaotic scenes outside the facility. This led to clashes as BJP workers raised slogans against State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing them of attempting to "sabotage the election."

Simultaneously, violence continued to plague parts of West Bengal for the fifth consecutive day as activists from the ruling TMC and opposition parties clashed during the nomination filing process for the panchayat poll, scheduled for July 8. Reports of clashes emerged from South 24 Parganas and Bankura districts, compelling the police to employ force in order to disperse the unruly mobs.