Calcutta: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has alleged that “Trinamul goons” have started attacking the party’s 800-odd candidates after their names were leaked by the State Election Commission (SEC) to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The CPI(M) candidates had filed nominations through email for the West Bengal panchayat election on May 14. This was confirmed on Wednesday by Bengal CPI(M) secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra at a news conference in Kolkata. Mishra said, “Calcutta High Court had (on Tuesday) asked the SEC to publish the names of the CPI(M) candidates who had filed nominations via email before 3 pm on April 23. Instead of making the names public, the commission gave the list to Trinamool.”
According to The Telegraph, CPI (M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty, expressing his concern, said, “Around 50 Trinamool goons have been terrorising our candidates who filed nominations through email with firearms at Naskarpur under Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency since last night.”
Mishra said there have been incidents of similar attacks in Burul at Satgachhia in East Burdwan. He feared the attacks would increase with polls around. “Our retaliation to fend off Trinamool goons, too, will intensify.”
Mishra said the CPI (M) had already filed a caveat in the Supreme Court as the poll panel would challenge Tuesday’s high court judgement.
“It is unheard that there are five petitioners from the same organisation (SEC) in the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court division bench order,” he added.
The CPI (M) leader also hinted at the Mamata-(Narendra)Modi’s friendly ties. He was referring to the Tuesday meeting between the Bengal chief minister and BJP MP Subramanian Swamy.
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed Calcutta High Court’s order asking West Bengal SEC to accept nominations sent through email for the upcoming Panchayat polls.