Welcoming the direction of the Calcutta High Court that panchayat elections in West Bengal be held in three phases with central forces as sought by the SEC, the Congress and CPI(M) said that it was a 'moral defeat' for the state government.
"It's a historic verdict. It's a moral defeat for the state government. The state government should accept the direction and follow it," WBPCC president Pradip Bhattacharjee said.
The state government, he said, "should shed its arrogance."
CPI(M) central committee member Shyamal Chakraborty said "We welcome the order. But the state will resort to other legal recourse so that the panchayat elections can be delayed."
He said that his party would give a fitting reply to the Trinamool Congress whenever the grassroots polls were held.
