Bengal poll panel moves court against state's dates for panchayat battle

Calcutta, Apr 1 (PTI): The West Bengal State Election Commission on Monday moved the Calcutta High Court appealing that the Panchayat election date notified by the state government be rejected. The Commission's counsel, L C Bihani, brought the matter before the court of Justice Biswanath Somadder and prayed for the rejection. The judge, however, directed the counsel to get the matter listed before he could take it up. It is likely to be considered by the court, following listing, either on Tuesday or any day after that. The Trinamul-led government and the Commission have been at loggerheads over the schedule of the Panchayat polls, with the government announcing that these will be held in two phases and that too under the supervision of the state police. The Commission had earlier proposed that the Panchayat polls be held in three phases and central forces be deployed for the sake of free and fair elections.