The West Bengal government on Friday told the Supreme Court that the row over the recently-concluded panchayat polls in the state has led to a "constitutional crisis" since the tenure of several panchayats were over and new bodies have not been made functional. Out of a total 58,692 posts for gram panchayat village, Zilla Parishad and panchayat samiti, 20,159 had remained uncontested in the violence-marred local polls in the state held in May.
The jury was told that a constitutional crisis has emerged as tenure under Article 243(E) (duration of Panchayat) of the Constitution of several panchayats is over. The funds allotted to panchayats will go back. There is a constitutional crisis under Article 243(E) of the Constitution. The development in the villages has come to a standstill," the counsel for the state government said.
The CPM had claimed that many of its candidates were prevented from filing nominations by the state's ruling Trinamool Congress.