West Bengal: Civic poll notification likely by mid-March

At a meeting with the officials of district administration, the WBSEC directed them to complete all preparatory work for the civic polls.

On Wednesday, State Election Commissioner Sourav Das met with the officials of three districts — North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Howrah. In the meeting, Das told the district officials to ready the list of returning and assistant returning officers of every civic body in their jurisdiction where elections are due.

The TMC government in the state has already through a letter asked the WBSEC to hold the civic polls in Kolkata and Howrah on April 12. According to Municipal and Urban Development Department officials, the government is likely to suggest the WBSEC hold the elections in the rest of the municipalities on either April 26 or April 27.

“The government will send its preferred dates to the State Election Commission for holding the polls. Ultimately, the Commission will take the final decision in this regard,” said an officer of the Municipal and Urban Development Department.

Earlier, the state government had requested the state election commission to keep the Ramzan month, which begins on April 26, out of the poll schedule.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that elections to civic bodies under the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency will be after Durga Puja instead of April-May.