TMC wins nearly 34 per cent Panchayat polls seats uncontested, a record for the state

This is the highest number of seats going uncontested in West Bengal's history, report said.

While the Panchayat poll in the state is scheduled for May 14, the ruling party appears to have won 34 per cent seats unopposed, reports said.

There were no opposition candidates for these seats by the time nominations closed on Saturday, reported NDTV.

According to media reports, over 20,000 of 58,692 Panchayat seats in the state - the highest number to go uncontested in Bengal's history.

Bengal Congress chief, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was quoted byNDTV as saying, "Without the eggs hatching, chicken are born. This is a glaring example of the mockery of democracy, an eloquent testimony of the butchery of electoral rights of the common people."

The run up to the local polls saw widespread violence among the various political parties with most blame heaped upon the ruling party, reports said.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Monday will hear the two opposition parties' pleas against the State Election Commission's (SEC's) decision to conduct a single phase panchayat poll in West Bengal, media reports said.

The petitions have been filed by CPI-M and Party of Democratic Socialism.

The SEC and the opposition parties are once again at loggerheads after the former announced a single date to conduct the poll that too allegedly without consulting the latter.