Trinamool to move court over rural poll

The Trinamool Congress will move the Supreme Court on Monday, seeking a revision in the schedule for the rural elections in 17 districts of West Bengal, so that they do not coincide with the month of Ramzan beginning on July 10.

In a ruling on June 28, the court rescheduled the elections in five phases from July 11. “The Trinamool Congress’s move will be supported by the State government,” party MP Sultan Ahmed said here on Sunday.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra held a meeting with the State Election Commissioner, Mira Pande, in the evening. They discussed matters relating to the schedule. Earlier, the State Election Commission had sent an e-mail to the State government, asking it to issue a notification for the panchayat election as per the court order.

The Congress’s minority cell will also approach the Supreme Court for a revision in the schedule.

Meanwhile, members of the Muslim community submitted a memorandum to Ms. Pande, demanding that the polls not be held in Ramzan.

'Mamata govt delaying polls'

The major political parties in the Opposition blamed the Mamata Banerjee government here on Sunday for delaying the State’s rural polls and creating a situation leading the Supreme Court to reschedule the panchayat polls that have coincided with the month of Ramzan.

While the Congress said Ms. Banerjee should “seek an apology from the people of the State”, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) blamed the Chief Minister’s “adamant attitude” for the situation.

The State unit of the BJP said the ruling Trinamool Congress does not want the rural polls to be held and is using Ramzan as a “pretext” to postpone the elections further.