The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that the Mamata Banerjee-led government’s decision to go ahead with the formation of a three-tier Panchayat setup is in direct contravention with an order of the Calcutta High Court. The HC had directed the government not to give effect to the results of the panchayat elections until the court disposes of the cases pending before it.
Last week, the West Bengal government issued a notification to all District Magistrates, Block Development Officers and SDOs, asking them to constitute the Panchayat bodies by 16 August. “The Chief Justice’s division bench had passed a direction to the state government not to give effect to the results of the Panchayat elections till the final disposal of the cases. The State government, by issuing a notification for the formation of the three-tier panchayat system, is going against the honourable High Court’s order,” said Shishir Bajoria, the BJP’s Election Commission Coordinator. “What is the pressing hurry to form the boards in contravention of the High Court’s order?”
“We all know that the State government has little respect for constitutional norms. That is why it has issued such a notification, which in our view, was not required at this stage. We have 11,500 winning candidates in the recently-held Panchayat elections. Since we do not want to be left out, we have no option but to participate in this exercise by the State Government, however much we feel that this is not the right thing to do,” Bajoria explained.
With the HC pulling up a section of Block Development Officers (BDOs) for playing a partisan role to help the ruling Trinamool Congress in the recent Panchayat polls, the BJP has written to the State’s District Magistrates, BDOs and SDOs, asking them to ensure that its winning candidates do not face any intimidation from “anti-social elements” while the three-tier Panchayati raj structure is being set up. “We have all seen the way in which State administrative officials have gone out of their way to help the ruling party during and after the panchayat elections. Had they played a more impartial role, then perhaps 55 people would not have lost their lives,” Bajoria said. “That is why when the State government has told its DMs, BDOs and SDOs to go ahead with the formalities of forming the three-tier Panchayat system, our winning candidates are facing threats from the ruling party’s goons”, he added.
The letter sent on the state BJP’s letterhead read: “This is to inform your good office that all steps are being taken and signatures are being done by all the candidates set up by BJP for formation of respective three tier boards. This is without prejudice to the rights and contentions of Bharatiya Janata Party as well as each of the winning candidates set up by BJP in the respective District.” “We bring to your notice incidences of blockage and intimidation that have happened today when winning candidates tried to enter BDO offices. Kindly ensure that adequate security is provided to our candidates, and they do not suffer at the hands of anti-social elements.”