New Delhi:
The Supreme Court has said no to the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government and a minority body that wanted poll dates changed for the panchayat elections in the state.
While the Supreme Court bench said it respects the sentiments of the Muslim community - on Friday it scheduled the polls alongside Ramzan - it ticked off the Mamata Government for "dilly-dallying", which led to this situation in the first place.
Ms Banerjee has welcomed the Supreme Court order. "It is a good verdict," she said this evening as she left her office at Writers Building.
But what Ms Banerjee really wanted was known to all: polls in winter, in one phase, with state forces.
Perhaps that is why her government made the last minute plea citing that Ramzan was clashing with the polls so could the poll dates be changed.
But Supreme Court said no. There was no time to deploy central forces before Ramzan began and holding polls after Ramzan would be too late.
Many panchayat bodies have already finished their five-year term. By the end of Ramzan, most would become defunct, violating the Constitution that requires the rural bodies to be elected every five years before expiry of term.
"Supreme Court has rejected our application," said Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP and senior advocate for the West Bengal government. "The Central Government said they won't provide force till July 8. They said elections should not be held in Ramzan period. Court wants to hold the election in the scheduled time. Court has not changed the election dates."
So panchayat polls will be held as ordered by the court on Friday: on July 11, 15, 19, 22 and 25. And they will be held with the help of Central paramilitary forces.
The opposition is blaming Ms Banerjee for creating a situation where the polls and Ramzan clash. "We wanted panchayat elections in due time. The process was damaged by the Trinamool-led state government. They wanted to dilly-dally so that election can be subverted," said Biman Bose of the CPM.
"The state government is fully responsible for this situation. They should apologise to the people and to the voters," said Congress's Abdul Mannan.
Several Muslim organisations took to the streets on Sunday and Monday to protest polls during Ramzan. Now, what is certain is their disaffection with the poll schedule will, along with roads, schools and drinking water, also become an election issue.