Kolkata: The Opposition Left Front on Monday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of hatching a `pre-planned conspiracy` to delay the panchayat polls forcing the State Election Commission to look for legal recourse.
"We have come to know that the delay in holding panchayat polls is a pre-planned conspiracy by the state government," Left Front chairman Biman Bose alleged.
Claiming that all ministers were not aware of it, he alleged that only Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy were party to it.
"Mukherjee was given the duty of creating confusion by triggering a tiff with the SEC. Roy was given the duty of defending the ruling party`s image in the public," Bose alleged, adding that the ruling party was trying to buy time by delaying the process before the grassroot polls.
Bose said, "The government doesn`t have any achievements to showcase. And, the Trinamool is plagued by inner fighting and factional feud, so it is trying to buy time before the panchayat polls to tackle those problems."
Bose claimed that after the end of the tenure of the present rural bodies, they would stop getting funds for rural development schemes from the Centre.
He said that a LF delegation will meet Governor MK Narayanan during the day to discuss the impasse over the rural polls.
"We have also decided to launch a mass agitation over the government`s lethargic attitude in holding panchayat polls," he said.
Asked whether the LF would explore legal options over the stalemate, Bose said, "We have not discussed the matter."
The state government and the SEC have locked horns over the schedule of the polls.
While the state government has announced that the elections would be held in two phases under the supervision of the state police, the SEC has proposed that the polls be held in three phases under supervision of central forces.
PTI
