The election to the 144-member Kolkata Municipal corporation on Saturday will prove if the Trinamool Congress still retained its popularity with urban voters, while for the CPI-M and the Left it will present an opportunity to see if they regained some lost ground.
The election to the 144-member Kolkata Municipal corporation on Saturday will prove if the Trinamool Congress still retained its popularity with urban voters, while for the CPI-M and the Left it will present an opportunity to see if they regained some lost ground.
For the BJP which has aspired to become a major force in the state after the Lok Sabha election, the civic poll would be a test of its popularity graph while the Congress, which has witnessed desertion in its rank, is trying hard to retain some pockets. Two Congress councillors, Mala Roy and Arun Das, had left the party to join the TMC early this month.
Opposition parties have accused the TMC of resorting to terror tactics to win the election which was rejected by the ruling party. Referring to opposition charges, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee during a roadshow in Kolkata on Thursday stated that a "malicious campaign" by the BJP and other opposition parties would not pay dividend and that she would remain in the hearts of the masses.
Former state chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has called for a united resistance against the TMC to ensure free and fair election. In all, 1077 candidates will try their luck in the election in which 38 lakh voters will exercise their franchise to elect a new KMC board. At present the municipal corporation is ruled by TMC which had 95 seats.
Amid opposition parties's allegations of violence by the TMC, security has emerged as a key issue as the state Election Commission managed to get only three companies of central forces against its demand of 50 companies of central forces for the civic poll. State Election Commissioner S R Upadhyay said that such a small contingent could only be utilized for route march or area domination, specially in the sensitive pockets," Upadhyay said this could create a gap in confidence building measures for the poll.
He said more than 80 cases of political violence have been registered throughout the city in the run up to the KMC poll. Expressing confidence of winning the KMC election, TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said that his party was not facing any opposition worth the name in the election. "Where is the opposition you are talking of we are facing? I do not see any opposition in the upcoming civic polls. Only opposition we are facing is from a section of the media," Chatterjee has said.
Accusing TMC of unleashing violence, CPI-M state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra had earlier charged the TMC and the BJP with having a covert understanding. "Whether it is the Saradha chitfund issue or sending central forces for the civic body polls, there is political understanding," he had stated.
The BJP, which is faced with severe infighting in recent months over distribution of party tickets, is hoping to cash in on its Lok Sabha performance. But the party leadership was skeptical as to whether the election would be peaceful. "We fear that the people will not be able to cast their votes freely and peacefully", state BJP president Rahul Sinha said. Referring to prospects of his party in the upcoming KMC polls, WBPCC president Adhir Chowdhury said, "Our main aim is to retain the seats which we already have with us and try to regain lost ground.
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