Kolkata, Jun 14 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Wednesday appointed senior official Sanjay Bansal as the additional State Election Commissioner (SEC), a source said.

Bansal is the former secretary to the state Backward Classes Welfare department.

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"Bansal has been appointed as the additional SEC. He will be assisting the SEC in the panchayat polls," the source told PTI.

Former chief secretary Rajiva Sinha was appointed the SEC on June 7. The next day, he announced that the panchayat elections will be held on July 8.

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On the reason behind appointing an additional SEC, the source pointed out that violence and clashes are being taken place during the nomination filing for the panchayat election.

“The presence of an additional official will lessen the stress on Sinha in overseeing the election process," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)