Calcutta High Court has asked a litigant, who filed a petition seeking an order for polls to 111 civic bodies in Bengal, to submit an affidavit-in-opposition on Wednesday in response to an affidavit filed by the State Election Commission.

“Thereafter two days, the State Election Commission (SEC) will have to submit an affidavit giving reply to the affidavit-in-Opposition,” a division bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava said on Tuesday.

On Monday, the SEC had in its affidavit said the Bengal government proposed that polls to 111 civic bodies “may be held in 6 to 8 phases” by May next year.

The BJP, a party to the case, had demanded polls to the 111 civic bodies on a single day. The bench directed the party to place the demand in writing, which will be considered by the court during the course of hearing.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said all pending municipal elections would be held within two to three months. She was speaking at an administrative review meeting for North and South Dinajpur districts.

Mamata made the announcement when she asked Trinamul’s Gangarampur MLA Biplab Mitra if they were prepared for the civic polls. Mitra said the party would fare well in the two civic bodies of South Dinajpur district.

Mamata then said: “We will hold the polls to all civic bodies within two to three months.”

She has asked government officials to share the dates of Madhyamik, higher secondary and joint entrance examinations with her. “The Gangasagar mela is there (apart from the exams). Dol and Holi are also there. We will check the dates and hold the polls,” Mamata said.