Trinamool using "malafide means": Cong

Congress today accused Trinamool Congress of trying to use "malafide means" as the West Bengal State Election Commission moved Calcutta High Court appealing that the panchayat election date notified by the state government be rejected.
"We are in total agreements with the points raised by the State Election Commission. Though timing of the election is the prerogative of the state government, the Election Commission decides in how many phases it will be held since it has the duty to conduct free and fair elections.
"There is speculation in media that Trinamool Congress is not interested in holding panchayat elections under the supervision of para-military forces. Since they are afraid that they could lose the elections, they wanted to win through malafide means with the help of TMC cadres and the state administration. They now want to postpone it," AICC in-charge for the state Shakeel Ahmed said.

The Trinamool-led government and the Commission have been at loggerheads over the schedule of the upcoming panchayat polls, with the government announcing that these will be held in two phases and that too under the supervision of the state police.
The Commission had earlier proposed that panchayat polls be held in three phases and central forces be deployed for free and fair elections.