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Trinamool Congress today stayed away from the all party meeting convened by State Election Commission (SEC) here on the upcoming panchayat polls in West Bengal even as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the poll panel of taking unilateral decisions without consulting the state government.
Banerjee said the people of the state would give a "fitting reply" through ballots, escalating the confrontation with the SEC on holding of the multi-phased rural polls over which both sides had moved court.
"I will take revenge in the democractic way through ballots. We will reply to each of these through ballots," she said.
Supreme Court last week fixed the polling dates on July 11, 15, 19, 22 and 25 and turned down the plea of the state government and some NGOs seeking to reschedule the dates in view of the Ramzan period likely to start from July 10 and end on August 9.
The ruling party's decision to stay away prompted opposition Congress and CPI-M to accuse it of disrespecting a constitutional body.
TMC, however, said it had informed SEC through a fax message of its decision.
"We had informed SEC in a fax that we will not be present. Earlier on only one all party meet was convened. The SEC had taken all decisons unilaterally, without any discussion. It had unilaterally announced the counting date. So by being present in the meeting we would only endorse its unilateral decisions. So we decided against it," said state Industries minister Partha Chatterjee.
Congress called the Trinamool decision unprecedented.
"This is unprecedented. Never before in the 40 years of my political career have we seen a ruling party being absent at an all party meet. This is nothing but disrespect to a constitutional body like SEC,"its leader Manas Bhuniya said.
The Trinamool supremo defended the party's boycott of the meeting.
"Today some people are questioning our absence (at the all-party meeting). Why should we go when they (SEC) are not listening to us and when they are taking unilateral decisions?" Banerjee asked while addressing a panchayat election rally in Jainagar in South 24 Paraganas district.
She also reiterated her party's stand that panchayat polls during the Ramzan period would inconvenience Muslims in the state.
"Even election date has been been fixed on Jummabar (Friday prayer). Did not (SEC) feel it necessary to ask us ?
The date of counting too was fixed on July 29 by SEC without consulting the state government, she added.
