Pandua: After the Supreme Court on Friday rescheduled the dates of West Bengal panchayat elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the polls during Ramzan would pose problems for Muslims, but a court order has to be accepted.
"We wanted the elections in winter. We did not want polling during the monsoon," Banerjee told a panchayat election meeting here in Hooghly district.
"Elections during the Ramzan month will pose problem for the people of the minority community. We did not want it. But sometimes, we have to accept under compulsion when there is a court order," she said.
Claiming that unlike opposition parties, ruling Trinamool Congress "wanted the polls to be held and it will be held", she urged Muslims not to cast a single vote for CPI(M), Congress and BJP which created "hurdles" for them when they "would be praying and fasting".
"These parties are afraid of defeat in the elections, did not want it to be held and delayed the poll process. The CPI(M), Congress and BJP have joined hands in a conspiracy to stall the elections."
Though CPI(M), Congress and BJP had allied against her party, she said, they would be defeated and lose their political existence.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court directed that five phase polls be held on July 11, 15, 19, 22 and 25. The polls were previously scheduled to be held in three phases from July 2.
PTI
