The development came two days after the high court directed the SEC to deploy central forces within 48 hours in all districts of the state. The verdict came in the backdrop of incidents of violence across the state in the run-up to the panchayat polls.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose visited Canning in South 24 Parganas district, which was marred by violence during filing of nominations. The governor had called state election commissioner Rajiva Sinha at Raj Bhavan. Sinha has cited his preoccupations with the panchayat polls as the reason for not being able to meet the governor, said people in the know.

After which, Bose went to Canning and met government officials, police officials and victims.

Bose had visited Bhangar in South 24 Parganas, which witnessed several incidents of violence between supporters of rival political groups on Thursday, the last day for filing nominations for the elections.

VIOLENCE ON DAY OF SCRUTINY
Violence continued in various parts of the state even after nomination, on the day of scrutiny. An all India Trinamool Congress (AITC) worker, Mostafa Sheikh, was beaten to death on Saturday afternoon allegedly by Congress workers. State minister Shabina Yasmin claimed some AITC workers who recently changed sides and joined the Congress were behind the murder.

Meanwhile, in another incident, minister of state for home Nisith Pramanik claimed his vehicles were targeted by miscreants in Cooch Behar’s Dinhata during nominations scrutiny.