Mamata, Naidu drag poll case to Vajpayee court

While they did so, any attempt at putting Banerjee to discomfort by mentioning her possible return to the Union Cabinet was blocked out by Naidu. ‘‘Mamataji is not dying for a ministership,’’ he shot back when a journalist put a question to Banerjee on this count.

The new warmth in their ties is partly a result of the installation of Tathagat Roy as Bengal BJP chief. Consequently, the two parties have tied up for Panchyat polls with Trinamool contesting 28,000 wards and the BJP, 10,000.

The two leaders claimed that the ruling CPI(M) had prevented Trinamool-BJP candidates from filing their nomination papers in at least 20,000 of 59,000 wards. ‘‘This operation has been described as the unopposed return of CPI(M) candidates,’’ they said. The tactics employed by the ruling party, according to them, included murder, kidnapping of candidates, imposition of collective fines on their supporters, molestation of their women-folk and snatching of their nomination papers.

‘‘We would explore all possibilities, including an invocation of Article 355, to see that the CPI(M) is forced to undo the rigging of Panchayat polls,’’ they said. ‘‘We would take the matter to Parliament,’’ Naidu said, adding that, ‘‘let Parliament decide what to do with this fraud going on in the name of elections.’’

CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharya’s appeal to the CPI(M) cadre to let opposition candidates file their nominations endorsed the Trinamool-BJP allegations, he said. ‘‘I am grateful to Venkaiahji for the concern shown by him for what is happening in West Bengal,’’ Banerjee said.