Adhir Choudhury in Kolkata on Monday. (Photo: Partha Paul)
The Congress on Monday said the Opposition had enjoyed more freedom during the previous Left regime than during the incumbent Trinamool Congress government. He also said that Trinamool workers will not allow people to vote on polling day.
“At least they (Left Front government) ensured a free and fair election environment in the state and the Opposition was allowed to exercise its democratic rights,” said state Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury, speaking at a press conference in Kolkata. “But now our candidates were not allowed to file their nominations for the upcoming panchayat polls. The ruling party is preventing the Opposition from taking part in the election. This is a very unfortunate situation in West Bengal.”
Giving the example of Murshidabad zilla parishad, which the Trinamool candidates won uncontested, Chowdhury said the Congress once held it.
“I challenge the ruling party to win the election in a democratic way. Instead of winning the rural body uncontested, it should allow Congress candidates to file their nominations and let there be a free and fair contest. If TMC wins the election in the democratic way then I will resign from Lok Sabha,” he said. Chowdhury is a Lok Sabha MP from Baharampur.
Chowdhury further accused the TMC of unleashing three-phase violence during panchayat election process to win maximum number of seats uncontested. “In the first phase they prevented the opposition candidates from filing their nominations. In the second, they forced them to withdraw their nominations. That’s how they have won 34 per cent seats uncontested which means that about 1 crore and 75 lakh people will not be able to exercise their franchise. In the third phase they will not allow the people to cast their votes on polling day,” he said.
Chowdhury demanded a high-court monitored panchayat election in the state. He also accused the TMC of being an agent of BJP in the state.
“The BJP has done well in the state under TMC rule. The TMC is indirectly helping it become the main Opposition party in the state. So they are hand-in-glove with them,” Chowdhury said.
Asked to comment whether the Congress will change its stand in Bengal because of the close proximity between TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the state Congress president said, “Both backdrops are different. In national politics the Congress held talks with 17 other parties and TMC was one of them. But that does not mean we here will stop fighting against TMC. Our agenda in West Bengal will not change. It is true that sometimes we face difficulties here due to this development but we are not accountable for that. Our mandate in West Bengal is different.”
The Congress leader also made it clear that they have decided to extend support to the CPM in upcoming Maheshtala Assembly bypoll-scheduled on May 28. “We decided to support them because it has also showed willingness to join hands with the Congress at their recent party congress,” he added.