SEC halts poll process citing court restrictions

Kolkata: A day after the Calcutta high court stayed the ongoing panchayat election process in West Bengal, the State Election Commission on Friday asked officials concerned to refrain from taking any step in connection with the poll process till further instruction.

"I am to request you not to take any step connected with the electoral process, including training programme till further instruction," state election commissioner A.K. Singh said in an order.

Mr Singh, citing the high court order on Thursday, had asked to "stall the process of withdrawal, symbol allotment and publication of list of contesting candidates until further order." 

Displeased with the SEC's recent decision to cancel its own order to extend the nomination process by a day, the Calcutta high court put a stay on the ongoing panchayat election process in the state.

Earlier Calcutta HC  suspended all processes of the West Bengal rural polls till April 16.