“The Congress has no qualms nor do they have any scruples. They are running the government at the centre with the help of the CPM. In North Bengal they are having alliance with the CPM, aimed at capturing three zilla parishads,” she said after releasing her party’s manifesto for the forthcoming panchayat elections.

“They (The Congress) advise us that we should quit NDA. We have deserted the BJP. But they themselves are having alliances with BJP. They have been running the Malda Zilla Parishad for the last five years with the help of the BJP. Where do their ethics go at that time?” she added.

She also took a dig at state Congress chief Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, who on Saturday advocated forming a broad secular anti-Left alliance with the Trinamool.

“In North Bengal (where the Congress is strong) you hobnob with the CPM to capture the zilla parishads and in south Bengal you want to have an alliance with Trinamool Congress to get your position stronger at gram sabhas. We are not fools. We will not allow them (Congress) to fulfil their evil designs,” Banerjee said.

She also criticised the State Election Commission for issuing a symbol as “free symbol” that had a striking resemblance with the Trinamool’s symbols.

“That the commission is working at the behest of the state government is clear from the fact that a symbol which is quite similar to that of our party has been released as ‘free symbol’. I condemn it,” she said.

The Trinamool chief also criticised the state government for using home guards instead of armed police for security duty during the panchayat elections.