Cong, CPI(M) criticise WB govt for conflict with SEC

The CPI(M) and Congress today criticised the Mamata Banerjee government for conflict with the State Election Commission over the panchayat polls and urged it to accept the 3-phase election as suggested by the SEC.
Congress member Manas Bhuinya, a former minister, urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to accept the suggestions made by the state election commissioner Mira Pandey to hold the panchayat elections in three phases with deployment of central forces.
"We have already requested the state government not to be rigid in its stand on the number of phases and accept the state election commission's suggestion for a 3-phase poll," Bhuinya told reporters at the CLP chamber.

Stating that the SEC had made such the suggestion considering law and order aspects, he said, "Congress has already discussed the issue at the legislature party meeting and WBPCC president Pradip Bhattacharya has informed the government of our viewpoint."
Senior CPI(M) leader, Suryakanta Mishra, who is the Leader of the Opposition, said it was unprecedented that a state government had entered into conflict with the SEC over the holding of the panchayat polls phasewise.
"We have been watching the exchange of letters (between state government and the SEC), but are yet to ascertain the poll dates. The state government has not yet made any response to the Commission's latest communication," Mishra said.

The CPI(M) leader urged the state government to accept the Commission's suggestion for a 3-phase poll in the interest of peace.