TMC slams LF for demanding three-phase panchayat poll

"We don't need unwanted suggestions from Left Front Chairman Biman Bose whose suggestions have worked for 34 years. Law and order is the responsibility of the state government and we are aware of that," state urban development minister Firhad Hakim told reporters here.

"Panchayat elections had never been held in three-four phases before. They (LF) could have introduced it during their rule," Hakim said.

Apprehending large-scale violence in the run-up to the upcoming Panchayat polls, Bose today demanded that the local elections be conducted in three phases.

"We want the elections to be held in three phases as both the number of voters and booths have increased in the Panchayat areas and secondly, we also feel that there will be violence to prevent opposition parties from fielding their candidates," Bose said.

Hakim said that many people were killed during panchayat elections under LF rule, "What did the Marxists do at that time?"

Meanwhile, in response to Bose's criticism of the TMC for holding a rally at Metro channel in central Kolkata, state industry minister Partha Chatterjee said as the opposition parties would celebrate Netaji birth anniversary on January 23 at the base of Netaji statue near Raj Bhavan, TMC would organise the celebration in front of Netaji Bhavan.

"We know how to show political courtesy and we maintain that", Chatterjee said.