Panchayat poll nominations via WhatsApp

Kolkata: In a rare instance, the Calcutta high court directed the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) to accept the nominations of 11 candidates contesting panchayat polls from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas through popular messenger service WhatsApp. The large-scale pre-poll violence in the state made it impossible for the candidates to file their nominations in person.

While passing the order, Justice Subrata Talukdar cautioned the state poll panel that the high court may even stall the poll process if the directive was not followed.

According to the judge, 11 candidates should be allowed to fight the polls. The high court’s ruling came as a shot in the arm of the Opposition parties as the BJP declared that it would follow the same path.

CPI(ML) (Red Star) leader Sharmishtha Chowdhury, along with 10 other candidates, had moved the high court as they were prevented from filing nominations even on Monday which was the extended day for filing nominations.

She claimed that 11 candidates could not file their nominations for the polls of Polerhat gram panchayat II in Bhangar which witnessed massive unrest over the construction of a power grid in wake of allegations of forcible land acquisition last year.

Ms Chowdhury added that nine of the candidates later sent their nominations through WhatsApp to the block development officer.

The judge ordered the WBSEC to look into Ms Chowdhury’s complaint. On Tuesday the state poll panel submitted a report to the judge.

“The high court directed the WBSEC to accept the nominations of those 11 candidates through WhatsApp apart from making it sure that their names should feature in the candidates’ list. It also asked the state poll panel to submit a report on April 30,” Ms Chowdhury said.

Hailing the high court’s order state Congress president Adhir Chowdhury said, “The high court tried to protect the democratic rights of the people of West Bengal in its orders so far. Nothing can be more positive than this ruling in which the judge ordered for the acceptance of the nominations by willing candidates in Bhangar. The judges want the people should get opportunity to participate in the elections contrary to the Trinamul Congress and the state police which have created a reign of terror.”

Welcoming the ruling state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “It is a very good news. We have already mailed another 15,000 nominations which will be done through WhatsApp after this order. I assume that at least 50,000 more nominations can be filed through WhatsApp and mail altogether.”