Kolkata, Apr 13: Trinamool Congress today demanded President's rule in West Bengal for next month's panchayat elections in the state, putting pressure on the ruling Left Front amid allegations that the CPI (M) was preventing opposition candidates from filing nominations for the polls. Talking to newsmen here, chairman of the TC policy-making body, Pankaj Banerjee, reiterated his earlier allegation that TC candidates for the panchayat elections were being prevented in many places by the CPI (M) from filing their nominations.
It was an individual's constitutional right to take part in any election, the Centre should not remain silent if the state government failed to protect that right, he said.
"Under constitutional provisions, the Centre can ask the state government to take steps in protecting the people's constitutional rights. If the state government fails to act even then, the Centre can take action against it under provisions of Article 356 of the Constitution," he said.
In a statement yesterday, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee asked the front activists not to prevent the opposition candidates from filing their nominations and asked the police to intervene, if necessary.
Stating that Bhattacharjee's statement had come 'too late,' Banerjee said it was issued to 'hoodwink' the people from the CPI (M)'s efforts in preventing the opposition candidates from filing their nominations.
Meanwhile, the CPI (M) state secretary, Anil Biswas, rejected the TC demand for president's rule as absurd. "They have made such demands earlier also. I don't need to reply to such demands," he said. Bureau Report