The civic polls in West Bengal were marred by clashes. (Press Trust of India photo)
The West Bengal Election Commissioner has submitted his resignation to the Governor, plunging the civic re-polls and counting process into uncertainty. His quit three days after civic polls, especially at Salt Lake in Kolkata, were marred by violence and rigging, allegedly by Trinamool outsiders.
Sushanta Ranjan Upadhyay, the commissioner, had put off counting indefinitely on Sunday. After protests by the Trinamool outside his office since Monday morning and a four-hour meet with senior Trinamool leaders, he announced re-polls in "some booths" on October 8 and counting on the 9th.
This morning, however, Mr Upadhyay did not come to office. He met the governor around 4 pm at Raj Bhavan and submitted his resignation.
"I have received his resignation. Mr Upadhyay pressed for it. I have sent the letter to the government," said Governor KN Tripathi this evening. Around 8 pm, senior bureaucrats rushed to Raj Bhavan for an urgent meeting with him.
The government is expected to appoint a new state election commissioner tomorrow. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will return from Thimpu tomorrow.
Sources known to Mr Upadhyay claim he was shocked by the behaviour of the four senior Trinamool leaders at his office yesterday. They apparently thumped his desk as soon as they entered his office. He was, however, not available for his comments.
Mr Upadhyay's resignation puts a question mark over whether re-polls can be held on Thursday. It is not clear if he has already identified booths where re-polls will be held. If not, holding re-polls seem unlikely at the moment. Mr Upadhyay had indefinitely put off counting for time to examine webcam footage and media footage to identify where booth jamming and rigging had allegedly taken place.