West Bengal is preparing for the upcoming Panchayat elections, which are set to take place on Saturday. The West Bengal State Election Commission recently announced the schedule for the 2023 Panchayat elections.
Election Schedule
The deadline for filing nominations was on June 15. The last date for the withdrawal of nominations was on June 20. The Panchayat polls will be conducted in a single phase on July 8 across 20 districts and in the two-tier system in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. Voting will commence at 7 am and conclude at 5 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled for July 11, three days after polling.
Scope of Elections
The 2023 Panchayat elections in West Bengal encompass all three tiers of Panchayati Raj institutions: Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Parishads. A total of approximately 74,000 seats will be contested in this year's Panchayat elections.
Distribution of Constituencies
West Bengal currently has 825 Zila Parishad constituencies in over 20 Zila Parishads, along with 1 Mahakuma Parishad. Additionally, there are 9,240 Panchayat Samiti constituencies in 341 Panchayat Samitis and 48,751 Gram Panchayat constituencies in 3,354 Gram Panchayats.
Nominations and Candidates
The West Bengal State Election Commission has received a total of 236,464 nominations for the Panchayat elections. The ruling Trinamool Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates, with 85,817 candidates representing the party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) follows with 56,321 candidates, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has fielded candidates in 48,646 seats. The Congress party has entered 17,750 candidates into the electoral fray.
Previous Election Results
In the 2018 Panchayat elections, the Trinamool Congress secured 95% of the Zila Parishad seats and emerged victorious in 90% of the Panchayat Samiti seats. The ruling party also won 73% of the Gram Panchayat seats.
Importance of the 2023 Panchayat Elections
The Panchayat elections in West Bengal hold significant importance as they precede the upcoming Lok Sabha elections scheduled for the following year. These elections serve as a crucial indicator of the political landscape and potential voter sentiment in the state.
