Stalemate over appointment of new state election commissioner in West Bengal has refused to die down as the Governor is insisting on a third recommendation from the state government in addition to the two names already sent, while the State Secretariat is unwilling to abide by that.
Sources from the State Secretariat said that probably the Governor House is insisting on the third recommendation because the same system is followed in case of the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner of India.
“However, the same rule is not applicable in case of the appointment of the state election commissioner. Generally, the Governor House gives consent to the first name recommended by the state government. Following the insistence of the Governor House, the state government has already recommended two names. But the state cabinet is not keen to send any further recommendation,” said a senior state government official on condition of anonymity.
The chair of the West Bengal State Election Commissioner is lying vacant now following the end of the tenure of the earlier state election commissioner Sourav Das. Initially the state government had recommended the name of former state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha.
However, a communication was sent from the Governor House to the state secretariat seeking more names. Thereafter, the state government forwarded the name of the current additional chief secretary to the North Bengal Development Department Ajit Ranjan Bardhan. However, not pleased with that also, the Governor House sought a third recommendation from the state secretariat, which the state government is not willing to abide by.
Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too said that her government has never before faced such complications over the appointment of the state election commissioner. “The Governor must understand the importance of the situation since the Panchayat elections in the state are scheduled shortly. I hope that good sense will prevail ultimately,” the chief minister said.
However, bureaucratic circles are of the opinion that although the matter may be delayed for some time, ultimately the Governor House will have to choose any one name from those recommended by the state government. There is not much provision for the Governor House to insist on its own choice for the post of state election commissioner unless the state government agrees on that, pointed out a bureaucrat who didnot wish to be nmaed.
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