Govt in a hurry to select full-time poll boss - Court-wary state moves

Pranesh Sarkar, TT, Calcutta, Oct. 9:The government today hurriedly initiated steps to appoint a full-time state election commissioner, apparently worried that Calcutta High Court had expressed displeasure at the manner in which an interim poll panel chief was deployed.

"It was decided today that Alapan Bandyopadhyay would act as the temporary state election commissioner till October 16. A full-time state election commissioner will take oath either on October 16 or the next day," a Nabanna source said.

Sources said the proposal to appoint a full-time commissioner was readied quickly and it would be sent to the governor tomorrow for approval.

The sources said former land reforms commissioner A.K. Singh was one of the strongest contenders for the post. Singh, an IAS officer who retired in 2014 as an additional chief secretary, had been given re-employment for 15 months as the land reforms commissioner. His tenure of re-employment ended on August 31. Till the appointment of S.R. Upadhaya, all state election commissioners had been retired IAS officers.

Senior government officials said the move to appoint a full-time commissioner was part of the government's "Plan B" to ensure that the civic poll process was completed before the Pujas.

"The fast-forward button was pressed during the day's developments in the high court. At one point during the hearing, it had appeared that the court could stay the counting of votes, which is scheduled for tomorrow, because of the manner in which Bandyopadhyay was appointed the interim election commissioner," an official said.

Justice Dipankar Dutta refrained from passing any interim order and the hearing will continue on November 23. The petitioner had sought a stay on the counting of votes.

The sources said "Plan A" was to move a division bench in case the single bench stalled the counting. "At the same time, the government wanted to have a back-up plan by appointing a full-time poll panel boss by next week," an official said.

A minister said the ruling establishment wanted to complete the election process before the Pujas as a delay would hold up development projects ahead of the Assembly polls next year.

A source said Mamata Banerjee entered Nabanna in the afternoon and watched on TV the developments in court.

"When news channels flashed that the court was raising several questions on the appointment of the temporary election commissioner, she called home secretary Basudeb Banerjee, who was attending a seminar at the Administrative Training Institute in Salt Lake, to Nabanna. The home secretary was asked to prepare the file to appoint a permanent election commissioner," the source said.