The BJP today demanded a five phase panchayat poll in West Bengal and threatened to go to court if the state government took any unilateral decision on the number of phases and deployment of central forces during the polls.

"We want a five phase election and Governor M K Narayanan to bring the state election commission (SEC) and the government together to reach an amicable solution on the number of phases in which the elections will be held," state BJP president Rahul Sinha said here.

"But, if the state government takes any unilateral decision on this and if it decides not to deploy central forces at booths during the elections, we will move court against such a decision," Sinha said.

"Since the commission wants it to be held in three phases, we have no objection to that," he said.

The West Bengal government which wants election in two phases with deployment of the police has been at loggerheads with the SEC which wants polls in three phases with deployment of central forces.