BJP’s national secretary Rahul Sinha on Tuesday blamed the Trinamul Congress (TMC) for the uncertainty over panchayat polls. He said it is because of the ruling party that Opposition candidates were not allowed to file nomination and now the matter is placed before the High Court.

“Afraid of being defeated in the panchayat poll, the TMC is suffering from depression and unleashed violence to oust the Opposition. The ruling party deliberately did this to hamper the poll process,” he said. He said the BJP is hopeful about the next verdict of Calcutta High Court.

“Monday’s ruling by Calcutta High Court Division Bench was people’s victory. We are waiting for the next verdict. BJP will continue with its legal and mass movement to ensure people of West Bengal can exercise their franchise freely and fairly,” he said.

On Monday, Opposition BJP and Left Front held the High Court Division Bench ruling to refer the panchayat poll case to Single Bench and said it signified the triumph of democracy over autocratic rule of the Trinamul Congress.

Sinha on Tuesday criticised chief minister Mamata Banerjee for the administration’s failure in not taking action against those who attacked Opposition party candidates and did not allow them to file their nomination papers.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee murdered the democracy with the help of the police. Left Front had been ousted for its misrule for the past 34 years. Miss Banerjee-led TMC will face the same consequence in the next poll. We have full faith on HC ruling,” he said.

On Monday, around 17 Left Front organisations organised demonstrations in the city in protest against the alleged violence during the filing of nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls in the state.

CPI-M legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty On Monday said the state government was trying to turn the panchayat polls into a farce. “Never before the Opposition parties in the state have faced such a situation where they were not allowed to file nominations by the ruling party,” Mr Chakraborty said.

He said TMC has no confidence on their development work. The party is afraid of Opposition candidates, he said.

On Monday the Left Front, led by the CPI-M, organised a protest rally around 2.30pm from Birla Planetarium in Maidan to Esplanade.

Left Front chairman said the democracy is under threat and all efforts are being made to undermine the SEC, which has turned into a back office of the TMC.

“The TMC is afraid of the Left Front that is why they have not allowed our candidates to file nominations,” Mr Biman Bose said. Left Front will continue their fight against the anarchy of the TMC reign.