New Delhi: The ruling party at the Centre BJP and the opposition Congress on Thursday filed separate court petitions seeking deployment of central forces to ensure free and fair rural polls in West Bengal. Violence rocked several districts of the state where Trinamool Party has the government.

Trinamool leaders met governor KeshariNathTripathi and the state Election Commissioner A K Singh over what they said were “falsehoods” spread by opposition parties.

The panchayat polls — on May 1, 3 and 5 — are being seen as a test of strength for the Trinamool and opposition BJP and Congress ahead of next year’s LokSabha polls. Counting of votes will take place on May 8.

In Delhi, a Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice DipakMisra agreed to hear on Friday a petition filed by the BJP. Advocate AishwaryaBhati said there was an emergency in the matter and sought an early hearing. She pointed out that nomination closes on April 9.

In Calcutta, the Bengal Congress president AdhirRanjanChowdhury said the party has filed a filed a petition in the Calcutta high court “seeking directions on the administration to ensure free and peaceful elections”. “We will make our submissions on Friday,” he added. The court will hear the petition on Friday.

Till Thursday afternoon, 5,649 candidates from the Trinamool Congress filed nominations while the combined number from the opposition stood at 6,648, a figure that party secretary general ParthaChatterjee highlighted to refute allegations of intimidation by their supporters.