GANGTOK, Sept. 26: The Opposition parties have criticised the state government's decision to hold the panchayat election during the festival season. It may be recalled that the State Election commission had yesterday hinted at holding the panchayat election tentatively on 26 October."The government has fixed election date in between Dusshera and Diwali. Moreover, we do not have adequate time to prepare for the elections," said a senior Congress leader. The Congress, though, has decided to fight the elections anyhow. "We have discussed the matter with our party high command in New Delhi. They have told us to participate in the polls without bothering about the government's dirty political game," the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president and former chief minister, Mr Nar Bahadur Bhandari, said.The CPI-M leaders are also unhappy with the government's "hasty" decision. "The State Election Commission had given Form A and B yesterday only. We have sent the forms to our head office in New Delhi," said Mr Anjan Upadhaya, senior CPI-M leader of the state. "We do not have adequate time and to prepare for the polls," he added. The Opposition parties, including BJP, Congress, CPI-M, Sikkim Sangram Parishad and Gorkha Prajatantrik Party had earlier requested the government to hold the polls after the festival season. The Opposition parties have also criticised the government over the seat reservation and delimitation issues. "The seat reservation and delimitation should have been made on community basis and not the party basis. We are planning to launch a non-cooperation movement against the government,” said Dr AD Subba, president of SHRP.
