CM violence blame on multi-phase poll

ARNAB GANGULY

July 23: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said a one-day panchayat election across Bengal could have helped control violence in the rural polls.

Ending her campaign for the fifth and final phase of polling in Jalpaiguri, Mamata blamed the Congress, CPM and the other Left parties for the violence.

“Their workers were killed while making bombs. We have lost 22 Trinamul workers in the panchayat polls. Had the elections been held in a single phase we would not have allowed this to happen,” Mamata said addressing a rally at Jateswar near Falakata in Jalpaiguri.

Mamata wanted the rural polls to be held in a single day and without any central force. The state election commission’s insistence on holding the polls in a multi-phased manner and in the presence of central paramilitary forces led to a prolonged legal battle between the state and the poll panel.

Around 18 people have lost their lives in the four phases of polling so far. The last phase of polling will be held in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur on July 25.

Addressing her last rally for the panchayat poll campaign in Dhupguri, Mamata identified the areas where the Opposition had tried to foment trouble. “In Murshidabad and Basirhat, Congress was behind the violence. In Basanti. it was the RSP’s handiwork, while the CPM led its attack in Burdwan’s Ausgram. They have hatched a conspiracy to stop voters. The leaders who are using provocation should remember terrible days are coming ahead,” Mamata said at the Dhupguri rally.

For the three-tier polls, Trinamul has won uncontested in over 6,500 seats amidst cries of intimidation by the Opposition parties.

During campaign Trinamul leaders such as Tapas Paul, Birbhum MLA Manirul Islam and the Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal publicly threatened Opposition leaders and workers.

Though Anubrata was not seen on the dais with Mamata when she went to campaign in Birbhum, the ruling party has not taken action against any of these leaders.

The CPM and the Congress have also been claiming that the central forces were kept out of action. Mamata today dismissed the claims.

“They are pointing fingers at us and saying we are not deploying central forces properly. They are creating trouble in booths which were not included in the sensitive or highly sensitive categories,” Mamata said.

The chief minister alleged the explosions in Murshidabad and Malda were CPM-Congress game plans. “I have heard bombs are still being hurled in Malda’s Ratua. The CPM and the Congress have reached an understanding,” Mamata said.

She also blamed the Congress-led UPA II government for the deplorable condition of NH31D. “I know tenders were floated but the Congress did not allow the work to start before the panchayat polls so they could blame Trinamul,” she said.