Leaders of both parties separately met newly-appointed West Bengal Governor MK Narayanan and alleged that a reign of terror had been unleashed in most districts by the CPM while the police looked the other way. They said after the CPM's defeats in the Lok Sabha and other elections, it had launched a massive "area capturing drive" by driving out TC and Congress workers and supporters from the localities.

The CPM, which began a three-day special meeting of the state committee at its Alimuddin Street office yesterday, rejected the demand for advancing the Assembly polls. Party secretary Biman Bose said the election would be held as schedule, some time in May-June 2011. He counter-alleged that the TC and the Congress were trying to create law and order problems in order to advance the poll. He said TC activists and Maoists were now jointly operating in several areas in south Bengal districts and attacking and killing CPM cadres and supporters.

Railway minister and TC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the party was not demanding application of Article 356, but a fresh elections in the state since the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government had lost the people's support. She alleged that during the past 32 years of Left rule, cadres had kept busy amassing enormous wealth and assets by misusing official machinery.