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Following a marathon meeting with all SPs and DMs at the Writers' Buildings, State Home Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti told reporters that the polls will be held on May 11, 14 and 18.
"We have sent our proposal to state Election Commission. The commission will make the final dates public on Tuesday," Chakrabarti said.
Law and order and repairing of village roads were among the issues discussed in the meeting, convened by Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb.
Deb had asked the district magistrates and SPs to ensure that people filing nominations do not face any threat from other political parties or groups. "Steps should be taken to reduce poll related clashes not only during polls but also before it," Chakrabarti said.
It is not known yet if any Central forces will be deployed as elections are scheduled to take place in Karnataka as well. Still, forces have been sought from the Centre and the adjoining states.
Armed personnel would be positioned at the booths.
The forces will be in greater strength at places where law and order is a matter of concern, especially in areas affected by the Maoists. Discarding the promises being made by the government, leader of Congress Legislature party Manas Bhunia called the pre-poll administrative meeting "hopeless".
"Three Congress workers -- Durgesh Malladeb, Swapan Mondal, Kali Maitri -- at Lalgarh in West Midnapore were attacked by CPM cadres today. The three block-level Congress leaders and other workers were holding a meeting. The CPM cadres had made similar attempts during the last panchayat elections in 2003. The government has failed to protect the democratic rights of the people. Durgesh was taken away by cadres. It took four hours for him to be released. We had to take up the matter with Additional SP of the district," Bhunia said.
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