The Supreme Court on Monday refused to extend the last date for the filing of nominations for panchayat polls in West Bengal, saying it could not interfere with the election process. The BJP had filed a plea demanding the Supreme Court's intervention, citing harassment of its candidates—seeking to contest the panchayat elections—by supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The top court, however, granted liberty to all candidates to approach the West Bengal State Election Commission for appropriate relief.
"We have not interfered with the election process but we have granted liberty to all candidates to approach State Election Commission today (Monday) itself for necessary relief," a bench of Justices R.K. Agrawal and A.M. Sapre said.
The BJP had on April 6 told the Supreme Court that "democracy is being murdered" in West Bengal as the ruling Trinamool Congress was engaged in large-scale poll violence and not allowing its candidates to file nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls.
It had also alleged that the assistant panchayat electoral registration officers appointed by the West Bengal State Election Commission were refusing to give nomination forms to BJP candidates.
The West Bengal unit of the BJP sought availability of nomination papers online, extension of the last date for filing these papers and deployment of Central paramilitary forces in West Bengal in the run-up to the polls scheduled in the first week of May.
The state BJP has portrayed the panchayat polls as a 'quarterfinal' battle with the TMC as the saffron party has steadily increased its vote share at the expense of the Congress and CPI(M). There were reports in March that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would campaign for the BJP for the panchayat polls.
The BJP hopes an 'improved' performance in the panchayat polls will position it for the parliamentary elections next year and the Assembly polls scheduled for 2021, when Mamata Banerjee's TMC would have completed 10 years in power.
The panchayat polls are scheduled to be held on May 1, 3, and 5. The votes will be counted on May 8. According to the notification, the last date for filing of nominations is April 9 and the last date of scrutiny of the nominations is April 11.