The Municipal elections in West Bengal are likely to be postponed againn as the Election Commission of India contemplate to conduct the State Assembly polls in March and April this year.

The term of all Municipalities and Municipal Corporations in the state came to an end last year. The elections were due in May and June.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the West Bengal administration had failed to have the polls in their scheduled time. The institutions are currently run by an unelected Board of Administrators.

However, the Supreme Court of India in December last year had directed the state government to hold the elections immediately. Following the court’s order, Bengal administration decided to conduct the polls in March this year.

But if latest news reports are to be believed the Election Commission is planning to hold the State Assembly election in March and the dates could be declared in February.

As a result, Municipal Affairs Minister of West Bengal Firhad Hakim has informed that the Municipality votes are likely to be postponed again, reported Hindustan Times Bangla.

Hakim informed that after declaration of the Vidhan Sabha election’s dates in February, the West Bengal administration would go under the ambit of EC. Thus, the Municipality elections would not be possible then.

Reportedly, deputy election commissioner Sudip Jain on Wednesday hinted that the dates of the Bengal Assembly elections could be declared in February.

In his meeting with state election commission authorities, district magistrates and security officials, he is also believed to have asked them to begin preparation for the polls keeping in mind dates of March and April.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission had on Tuesday discussed with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla the availability and requirement of central security forces for the upcoming Assembly elections.

The meeting held at the EC headquarters here was “primarily to discuss requirement vis-Ã -vis availability of central armed police forces (CAPFs), and related matters, for the upcoming Assembly Elections to the States of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Puducherry,” the poll panel had said.