County Hall's Tories have branded their Liberal Democrat rivals disrespectful for not suspending their election campaign after the death of Margaret Thatcher.
Leicestershire County Council's Conservative group ceased campaigning for next month's election after the death of the 87-year-old former Prime Minister was announced yesterday.
The Conservatives say they will resume their efforts to win voters on Thursday but stop campaigning again when Baroness Thatcher's funeral is held on April 17 at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
Labour candidates were yesterday instructed to halt campaigning though at least one took to the internet to complain of losing 24 hours.
They have been told to carry out only "low key" campaigning, ie leafleting, until the controversial former Prime Minister's funeral.
The Liberal Democrats however say they will not stop until the day of the service and will then start again as soon as it is complete.
Conservative deputy county council leader Byron Rhodes said: "It's sad and disrespectful. She was the greatest Prime Minister of our lifetime and she changed the face of British politics.
"We have to demonstrate that respect so we have suspended campaigning and will resume on Thursday before stopping again on the day of the funeral.
After a minute's silence was held at County Hall's cabinet meeting today (Tues) Lib Dem Group leader Simon Galton said: "There was a minute's silence and certainly we will not campaign while the funeral is taking place but we are weeks away from a local election and as I have said before it will be the first for some time when no other election has taken place on the day. We need to take the chance to make people aware of it.
"If Nick Clegg died tomorrow I wouldn't stop our campaign.
"From my observations of Margaret Thatcher, although I don't want to second guess what she would have wanted, she had a reputation as someone who got on with things."
Coun Galton pointed out that Britain's first female Prime Minister had narrowly escaped death when bombed the hotel where she was staying in Brighton in 1984.
Despite five people dying in the blast and many being seriously injured, she immediately threw herself back into her work.
County Hall Labour group leader coun Max Hunt said: "As a mark of respect we suspended campaigning yesterday and are restricting ourselves to low key campaigning. We are leafleting. Most candidates are observing that.
"We will not be campaigning on the day of the funeral."
