Kolkata, April 1 (IANS) With West Bengal’s State Election Commission moving the state high court after a long standoff with the government on the upcoming panchayat polls, the Left Front Monday accused the Mamta Banerjee regime of hatching a conspiracy to stall the elections.
The Front alleged that state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee deliberately did not abide by the laws as a part of the conspiracy.
“Jurisdiction is amply explained through different provisos that the time frame (of rural body polls) can be announced by the government, but the phase cannot be notified or announced by it. It is definitely known to the minister,” state Left Front chairman Biman Bose told a media conference here.
“When knowingly they are adopting wrong things as per laws and regulations, this is definitely motivated to stall the upcoming elections,” said Bose, also the state Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) secretary.
He alleged that the ruling Trinamool did not want to hold the polls now as the party was going through several internal conflicts.
A Left Front delegation will meet Governor M.K.Narayanan Monday evening to apprise him about its stand on the present impasse.
The Front is also planning to hold a sit-in agitation Tuesday evening in Kolkata to protest the Banerjee government’s stand on the elections.
After days of stalemate, the State Election Commission (SEC) Monday morning moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking rejection of the panchayat election date notified by the state government.
The Mamata Banerjee government has been engaged in a war of words and letters with the election panel over the scheduling of the dates and deployment of central paramilitary forces.
On March 22, the government announced two-phase polls to be held April 26 and April 30, under the supervision of the state police personnel.
