Kolkata, March 29: West Bengal's opposition Left Front Thursday said the Mamata Banerjee government will have to take responsibility for the stalemate over the coming panchayat (rural body) polls following its friction with the state election panel.
"If there is a stalemate, then neither the people, nor the Left Front will be responsible. The responsibility will lie at the door of the state government," Left Front Chairman Biman Bose told mediapersons here.
Demanding "proper, free and peaceful polls," Bose said "the state government and the state election panel should do whatever is needed".
Siding with the State Election Commission, which is locked in a dispute with the Mamata Banerjee government on deployment of central paramilitary forces and poll schedule, Bose said: "The situation in the state is far from peaceful. Clashes are talking place at a number of places. There are factional fights within Trinamool which often leads to killings".
Bose also took offence at Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee dismissing a missive from the poll panel as "one drafted by a school boy".
"The sort of comments being made against the State Election Commission -- that's not right," he said.
The front had earlier demanded three-phase panchayat polls.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of Left Front partners, Bose said the combine would fight all the seats and was close to achieving "total unity" in seat adjustments.
"We have already achieved total unity in several districts. In other districts, there will be total unity in the next couple of days. We will have total unity by the time the election dates are formally notified."
