It observed that just six days, from June 9 to June 15 with June 11 being a Sunday and hence a holiday, are not enough for filing nominations for the 75,000 seats.

The court also directed the SEC to ensure free and fair elections. The Congress and the BJP had moved the high court seeking more time for filing nominations for the panchayat elections and deployment of central forces.

The bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam asked the SEC and the state government to consider allowing candidates to file their nominations online.

“So far as ensuring free and fair polls, it goes without saying that right from the stage of filing of nomination till the counting of votes and publishing results the entire process should be videographed and the said video footages have to be protected and preserved and the duty lies with the State Election Commission in this regard,” the court order said.

The West Bengal government will file a report in this regard on June 12. The HC has sought an affidavit from the SEC on the same day. “The other concern expressed is with regard to the safety of the candidates who seek to file their nominations. It is the uniform representation of the petitioners that they seek for directions to file their nominations before the District Magistrate of the concerned district or the State Election Commission,” the order said. Observing that the time given for filing nominations is “inadequate”, the Calcutta High Court directed the SEC to file its response on petitions by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and LoP Suvendu Adhikari on June 12.”Prima facie, we are of the view that the time limit fixed in the notification is inadequate..The State Election Commission can fix a reasonable time for the prospective candidates to file their nominations because it is insisted that nominations have to be filed in physical form,” the court said.

Koustav Bagchi, advocate representing the Congress, said, “Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had filed a case in HC, stating that the time for filing nomination is inadequate. Prima facie, the court also observed that the time is inadequate. The next hearing will be on June 12.”

Advocate Suryanil Das, Suvendu Adhikari’s advocate said, “Free, fair and transparent polling must be conducted.”

Trinamool MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee represented the West Bengal government in the case.

Five districts sensitive

A day after the dates were declared for the panchayat polls in West Bengal, a meeting was held at the state election commission, where Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi and Director General of Police Manoj Malviya were present. District magistrates and Superintendents of Police were also present at the meeting. During the meeting, five districts have been identified as “sensitive”. However, the poll panel has not taken any decision to extend the dates of nomination filing yet.

Chaos prevailed over submission for nomination papers in various parts of the state, predominantly in Murshidabad district, Nadia and Diamond Harbour areas.