BJP on Thursday said that democracy is in peril in West Bengal as the Opposition candidates are being prevented from taking part in the panchayat poll beginning from 1 May.

The state BJP will also launch a demonstration in front of the Gandhi statue tomorrow to protest against violence across the state over submission of the nomination papers.

BJP has demanded deployment of Central forces to ensure security of both the voters and the candidates during the panchayat elections. BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said that the ruling Trinamul Congress workers are perpetrating violence in the state to terrorise the opposition candidates for the panchayat polls.

Opposition candidates are not being allowed to file nominations and the time for filing nominations must be extended by a few more days, he said. Criticising, state election commissioner A K Singh, BJP’s state president said that despite violation of model code of conduct (MCC) by several TMC leaders, Mr Singh is sitting idle and not taking action against the violation of MCC.

“Chief minister Mamata Banerjee destroyed the democracy in West Bengal. BJP is fighting against both the goons of the TMC and its party leaders, who are forcing the BJP’s candidates not to file nomination papers,” said Mr Ghosh.

The state BJP also alleged that goons who assembled outside the BDO office are misbehaving with the women, who are visiting those offices for filing nomination papers.

“Even women are being searched by the male TMC members whether they are carrying any nomination papers in front of the police,” said a senior BJP leader. Mr Ghosh said that the panchayat election will be totally farce if Central force is not be deployed.

“Many of our candidates have been attacked by the TMC. They could not file their nominations. So we have appealed to the apex court for a direction to the state administration to conduct the polls peacefully so that an opposition party can take part in the polls,” he said.

Mr Ghosh also said all the Opposition party candidates are being attacked by TMC goons but TMC secretary general said that everything is peaceful in the state.

“This is ridiculous. TMC backed goons have unleashed violence everywhere,” he said. The state BJP will also celebrate the foundation day tomorrow across the state. A Union minister may arrive to participate in the programme here, a senior BJP leader said.