On Monday, the last day for filing nominations for the panchayat election, it was observed that in several districts, the TMC has effectively gained control of the zilla parishad in the absence of any nomination by Opposition parties.
At the top of the list is Birbhum, where, of the 42 zilla parishad seats, TMC has won in 41, uncontested. "We had managed to pitch one candidate from Rajnagar, which was the only seat where the TMC did not win uncontested," Ramkrishna Roy, BJP district president, Birbhum, said.
Similarly, of the 19 Panchayt Samitis of the district, 14 had been swept away by the TMC uncontested. TMC strongman and party district president from Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal, had said if the Opposition leaders are unable to file nominations, they should approach him for help.
Senior CPI (M) leader Rabin Deb said that the number of uncontested wins would rise in favour of the TMC. "The number of uncontested wins will go up, as many of those who had filed nominations will be forced to withdraw," he said.
BJP leaders, too, blamed the TMC for engineering such a victory. "TMC's culture of bombs and guns have won. If Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was so confident about the developmental work done, why did she resort to violence?" said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.
TMC workers had started celebrating the uncontested victory since 3 pm, when the nomination process ended. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said it was not the end of the world. "After using brute force, if people think they can destroy BJP, they are wrong. Lok Sabha elections will be held next year. Trinamool will be taught a lesson then," Ghosh said.
At Magrahat I BDO office in South 24 Parganas, people had started gathering since morning to file their nominations. It has been alleged that TMC workers appeared in huge numbers and tried to discourage them by attacking. BJP workers had retaliated and in the process, Rafique Jamal, SI, Usthi PS received a bullet injury on his hand as police tried to disperse the irate mob.
Daughter of a BJP candidate, who had come to file her nomination at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas, was beaten up by TMC cadres.
In Murshidabad district, too, Trinamool swept 29 of 30 panchayat samiti seats at Kandi. All the 21 panchayat samiti seats of Bharatpur and 37 of Barwan were also won uncontested by the TMC.
Sk Saifuzzaman, Congress MLA from Beldanga was allegedly beaten up by TMC workers as he put up a road block on NH-34, protesting against TMC atrocities.
ADG (law and order) Anuj Sharma said on Monday that armed police would be posted at every booth during the poll process.
CELEBRATION
- TMC workers had started celebrating the uncontested victory since 3 pm on Monday.
- It has been alleged that TMC workers tried to discourage people from filing nominations by attacking them.
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