Author: Our Special Correspondent
Publication: The Telegraph
Date: April 13, 2003
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
today virtually accepted the Opposition parties' allegations - that CPM
cadre were preventing their candidates from filing nominations for the
panchayat polls - by issuing a public statement urging party workers to
desist from making such attempts.
"I have received a number of complaints
from Opposition parties that their candidates are being prevented from
submitting their nominations for the polls. We can never support this kind
of activity and urge Left Front workers not to allow this kind of situation
to prevail. I have also alerted the police administration to take necessary
steps to ensure free and fair elections," said the statement.
The "appeal" to CPM cadre, issued
with only a day left for filing nominations, comes after parties such as
the Trinamul Congress, the Congress and the BJP voiced a number of complaints
against the Marxists' "terror tactics". The parties alleged that CPM cadre
have so far prevented over 20,000 of their candidates from submitting nomination
papers in Midnapore, Hooghly, Burdwan, North and South 24-Parganas.
The BJP and the Trinamul had yesterday
boycotted an all-party meeting convened by state election commissioner
Ajay Sinha, accusing him of "dancing to the CPM's tune".
The chief minister's statement "has
only vindicated what we have been saying for the past few days", said Trinamul
chief Mamata Banerjee. "However, it is too late now. Had he made the appeal
earlier, we could have appreciated the gesture," she added.
5 hurt in poll clash
Five persons, including a candidate
for the panchayat elections, were today injured in a clash between the
CPM and a group of Trinamul Congress and BJP supporters at Jangipara in
Hooghly. Police have arrested a person in connection with the incident.
