Cal HC refuses to interfere in Bengal panchayat election process

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday refused to interfere in the panchayat election process in West Bengal, while holding that there is a substance in petitioner Suvendu Adhikari's contention over seat reservation criteria used for the upcoming 2023 local body polls.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj held that any interference at this stage in connection with the PIL filed by Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, may lead to postponement of the panchayat elections in the state.

The court refused to interfere in the panchayat polls in West Bengal at this stage while holding that there is a substance in Adhikari's claim over the use of different criteria for the reservation of seats in various categories.

The court left it to the State Election Commission to take a call on the points raised by the BJP MLA over such reservation of seats.

The panchayat elections in the state are likely to be held by the middle of this year.