Bengal civic polls deferred

The West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) postponed the upcoming civic polls in the state for the time being after political parties expressed their concern over coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. The decision, which will be reviewed after 15 days, was taken at an all-party meeting. The ongoing Budget session in the Assembly has also been curtailed. The polls were likely to be held between April 12 and 26 for 107 civic bodies. Elections to the municipal bodies and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation are being viewed as a litmus test for the TMC and the BJP, a year ahead of the crucial Assembly polls. Earlier, the ruling TMC and the BJP had appealed to the SEC to defer the polls. Earlier in the day, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar appealed to the SEC to take an appropriate decision on the civic polls schedule. The state government had earlier proposed to hold the polls between April 12 and 26.