Left Front Chairman and the Secretary of the CPI(M) West Bengal State Committee, Biman Basu accused the ruling TMC of resorting to all sorts of malpractices, to win the Panchayat Elections, right from the very beginning with the filing of nomination papers to the day of counting. Ultimately it is the verdict of the people of rural Bengal, which has not been fully reflected in the whole Election process and the results, he observed. He said that the State Election Commission was repeatedly approached and was asked to take effective measures but what happened in the end were far from what the Left Front had sought. He said the hooligans of the ruling party along with the police and Government Officials entrusted with the duty of polling had joined hands to jeopardize the whole election process and turn it into a farce. Citing examples of how atrocities, hooliganism and arson were meted out in the counting centers too, he said CPI(M) agents were forcibly thrown out of the counting centres.
Biman Basu alleged that ballot papers had been forged. For an example, in one of the Gram Panchayats in Furfura Sheriff of Hoogly, the counting was going on and the Left Front had won in 16 seats and the TMC in 4 and TMC rebels had won in 2 seats, when all of a sudden after creating a commotion inside the counting centre the TMC demanded a recount. CPI(M) agents were driven away and in the end it was declared that the CPI (M) had won in 11 seats only. Biman Basu said this is not the only instance of forcible capture of the counting centre.
He said in Andal under Burdwan district it has been reported that ballot boxes have been opened with forged ballot papers. Here the Ballot papers with counter foil intact and without the signature of the Presiding Officer and even Election Commission were detected with all votes going in favor of the ruling party the TMC. It seems that these papers were printed outside, he alleged. Basu said that from what happened today, it is evident that the ruling party is using muscle power to get seats. This is reminiscent of 1972 assembly elections when democratic rights of were trampled upon. The common people’s mandate has not been reflected fully in this election, concluded Basu.
July 29, 2013
