Kolkata:
The Calcutta High Court today disposed off an appeal by the state government against the order of the single bench last Friday by ordering panchayat elections by July 15 in three phases with forces from other states and central forces if necessary.
The court also asked the state to provide 400 observers. Earlier, the state had said they would provide only 266.
The court also ordered that the state government, in consultation with the State Election Commission (SEC), announce the poll dates within the next three days. Both sides, the SEC and the state government, are saying they are satisfied with the order and are not thinking about going to the Supreme Court at this moment.
The court has also given specific instructions about the deployment of forces - the government will have to deploy two armed police and two constables at every highly sensitive booth. For normal booths, one armed police will have to be deployed.
The Advocate General expressed satisfaction that the court has not allowed the SEC's demand for 800 central paramilitary forces. The SEC's lawyer said that central paramilitary forces was not the issue; the issue of adequate number of police deployment and if there was a shortfall, the state would have to requisition forces from neighbouring state of from the Centre.
On the issue of the merits of the single bench order on Friday, the division bench said it will not set any precedent and it may be taken up in future.
Panchayat bodies in the state's 17 districts, elected for a five-year period, complete their terms in July.
Left controls 13 districts, two each with the Congress and Trinamool and the results of the elections will indicate the popularity of major political parties before next year's Lok Sabha election.