Civic volunteers cannot be candidates in West Bengal panchayat polls, says Election Commission

• April 18, 2023

Civic volunteers cannot be candidates in panchayat elections in West Bengal, but there is no obstacle for teachers to be candidates! This is what the Election Commission said. The State Election Commission has issued a notification to all District Magistrates and District Panchayat Officers on Wednesday. This matter has been reported there.

The State Election Commission has said that civic volunteers, even if they are not permanent state government employees, cannot stand as candidates in panchayat elections.

Not only civic volunteers, but almost all types of contractual employees of the state government cannot contest panchayat polls. Like Gram Rozgar Sevak, Shiksha Bandhu, Panchayat contract workers or all contract workers based on state government contracts. However, there is no bar for teachers to be candidates for public representative elections. According to the State Election Commission, primary teachers, high school teachers, para teachers, professors, assistant professors, lecturers, guest lecturers can also be candidates in the panchayat. A person can become a candidate for a panchayat after the age of 21 years.

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