A division bench of the Calcutta High Court will this week hear a crucial public interest litigation (PIL) on the risk of foreign nationals participating as candidates in the polls in West Bengal. The External Affairs Ministry, Election Commission of India (ECI), and the West Bengal Election Commission have been made parties. The matter is expected to come up for hearing at the division bench headed by the Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay on March 13. In the PIL, the petitioner has argued that since West Bengal will be heading for the crucial Assembly polls next year, the administrative bodies responsible for the smooth conducting of the polls should also ensure that not a single foreign national can contest by using forged identity documents establishing his or her Indian citizenship. The PIL was filed by an individual, Manik Fakir, in which the ECI and West Bengal election commission have been named as parties. It is reported that there have been past instances of controversies arising over foreign nationals contesting both state Assembly elections and Panchayat and rural civic body polls conducted by the State Election Commission.