New Delhi: On a day when 17 parties came together for a sit-in protest in Kolkata against the violence, the Left Front registered its protest against violence allegedly perpetrated by Trinamool Congress activists ahead of the three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal. In a joint press conference in the national capital on April 6, the Left parties – Communist Party of India (Marxist ), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (ML-Liberation), Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist), All India Forward Bloc – alleged that their nominees across the state were not being allowed to file nominations, and were, in fact, being prevented violently by TMC activists to enter the administrative offices where nominations were being filed. The Left parties which held a press conference in the national capital on Friday told the media that both the state election commission and the state police had become “handmaidens” of the Mamata Banerjee-led government.CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury while terming the goings-on in Bengal as “virtual murder of democracy”, said that the election commission was “defunct” and had failed to control the violence. He alleged that Left Front nominees were being attacked brutally when they tried to enter the sub-divisional officers (SDO), block development officers (BDO) or district magistrates’ offices in various constituencies.Yechury added that the violence that started on April 3, had intensified as the last date (April 9) for nominations drew closer. “The violence appears to be an organised effort as across the state block and SDO offices have been cordoned off by TMC armed gangs,” he said, adding that senior CPI(M) leaders like Basudeb Acharia and Ramchandra Dome were seriously injured in the attacks and had been hospitalised.He also said that such attacks on opposition candidates was unprecedented in Bengal. “We have heard about post-election rigging and booth capturing but here nominees are not being allowed to even file their nominations.”“There is a pattern to the attacks,” Yechury said, “The attacks have been particularly vicious where the Left is in direct opposition to the TMC. In seats where BJP too is a significant force, the violence against opposition is milder. What this means that in areas where bipolar contests may result in TMC’s loss, the violence is greater. In seats where triangular fights may result in opposition votes splitting, the violence is milder. It is an organised effort. Such pointed attacks is a big blot on our democracy,” he added.“The attacks have been particularly vicious where the Left is in direct opposition to the TMC,” said CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury. Credit: PTI/FilesSimilarly, CPI leader D.Raja said the election commission had not imposed the model code of conduct effectively. “Since the panchayat elections represent grassroots democracy, and is in fact, most participatory in nature, we call upon the law enforcing authorities to ensure a free and fair election.”Photographs showing nominees being attacked with hockey sticks and stones are already circulating on social media. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has demanded deployment of central forces in the state, and Congress have already approached the courts. Responding to BJP’s call, Kavita Krishnan of CPI (ML-Liberation) said, “Having central forces deployed in local government elections does not reflect well for democracy. But one should also think about how to conduct free and fair elections if the state police appears to be complicit in the violence perpetrated by the state government.”She alleged that the TMC activists had not only not attacked the nominees in administrative offices but had also vandalised opposition party offices in various villages.AIFB’s Dharmendra Kumar pointed out what he called the Bengal chief minister’s “double-standards”. “When Mamata Banerjee comes to Delhi, she projects herself as a democratic warrior. But in Bengal, she wants to win the election without any opposition. In future, we will demand President’s rule in the state if such poor state of law and order continues.”A press note circulated by the parties said that cordoning off offices was first seen in 2013 in Birbhum and some other districts. The same model is being implemented across the state in 2018.The note also listed out their demands. One, alternative arrangements should be made for the opposition candidates to file their nominations in secure conditions. Two, nomination dates should be extended. Three, to ensure free and fair elections, firm action should be taken against those who are responsible for the attacks and “encirclement” of administrative offices.The three-phase elections will be held on May 1, 3 and 5. After reports of violence emerged, the election commission has extended the nomination date by a day i.e , April 10.The TMC, meanwhile, has denied all allegations despite several reports of such violence. “Nobody is stopping the opposition from filing nomination. At the Zila Parishad level, the BJP has filed more nomination papers than the TMC,” party leader Partha Chatterjee told reporters on April 5. A TMC delegation also met governor K N Tripathi and state election commissioner A K Singh.However, until Friday, reports of large-scale violence kept pouring in. Panchayat elections in Bengal have often been marred by violence. However, the scale of such attacks appear to have increased in 2018. At least two have died and more than 200 people are reported to be seriously injured.
