The Election Commission of India’s full bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, arrived in Kolkata from New Delhi with a busy agenda for the next two days. They were welcomed at the airport by West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal and state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty. CEC Kumar is set to kick off the visit with a trip to the famous Kali temple at Kalighat before starting the official program.
The Commission’s full bench is scheduled to meet with representatives of various political parties on Monday morning, with each party given a 10-minute slot. The ruling Trinamool Congress is expected to have the first interaction with the ECI’s team. Initially, the party was to send three representatives, but later added three more members to the delegation.
Among the additional members are West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Chandrima Bhattacharya, and retired acting Director General of West Bengal Police Rajeev Kumar. Following their two-day agenda, the Commission’s team will head back to New Delhi on the evening of March 10.
