Team News Riveting
Raipur, September 4
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could heave a sigh of big relief as Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced to hold polls in Bhabanipur and two other constituencies barring four others in the state.
The decision of the poll panel, seen as a best Puja gift for Mamata, would facilitate her election to the state legislative assembly. Having lost the election from Nandigram and elected as the Chief Minister, she was required to get elected to the House within six months. The deadline was ending on November 6.
The Election Commission would be holding by-elections in Bhabanipur as “special case” following discussion with the West Bengal officials. Bhabanipur, Shamshergunj and Jangipur assembly constituencies would also go to the polls on September 30. The results of all the three by-polls would be announced on October 3, just about a week before Bengal’s grandest Durga Puja festival.
The Bengal Chief Minister was likely seek re-election from the Bhabanipur seat that she had represented in the last two terms. Interestingly four constituencies of Dinhata, Santipur, Khardaha and Gosaba have been left out that also felt vacant following resignations or deaths of the elected candidates.
“After taking into consideration the inputs and views of the Chief Secretaries of the concerned States and respective Chief Electoral Officers, while the Commission has decided not to hold bye-elections in other 31 Assembly Constituencies and 3 Parliamentary Constituencies and considering the constitutional exigency and special request from State of West Bengal, it has decided to hold bye-electionin 159- Bhabanipur AC,” an official statement from the commission said. Further, the Commission has also decided to hold polls in 3 Assembly Constituencies namely 56-Samserganj, 58- Jangipur of West Bengal and 1 Assembly Constituency 110-Pipli of Odisha.
The political observers see the development as the pressure from Mamata Banerjee. “If the state officials claim that Bengal is completely prepared to hold polls that made the Election Commission to hold elections, then why are elections being held only in three and not in all seven vacant seats,” one of them said.
Two days ago, Mamata had put the poll panel under the scanner for any attempt to delay the election. The Election Commission had also come under her attack during the state polls that ended in May this year.
The TMC leaders were fearing that BJP was hatching the plan to delay the polls to tangle Mamata Banerjee into constitutional crises and force her to resign.
