Bengal’s rural-poll fight heads to Supreme Court

While political opponents gear up for a heated contest in West Bengal’s rural polls in July, a legal confrontation continues in the courts too.

After the Calcutta High Court directed requisition and deployment of central forces for all the districts, the state election commission has moved the Supreme Court, sources claimed. The state government, too, has moved, sources add. The Court, on Thursday, had directed the commission to comply with the directive within 48 hours.

Steering the state government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, had thrown a challenge, claiming that no other state has succeeded in having so many nomination papers filed in such a peaceful way. Banerjee had also “condemned the high-handedness of central forces in border villages of West Bengal that had claimed the lives of many”, a Trinamool release stated.

She had said that an issue is being created for the trouble in just two, of more than 61 thousand booths for the rural polls. The state government’s stand, as apparent, is similar to that of the commission’s on deployment of central forces.

Violent clashes between factions supporting the ruling Trinamool, and the opponents – Congress, Left, and the BJP – have continued to be reported during the phase when nomination papers were being filed. A candidate affiliated to Trinamool was allegedly beaten to death in Malda district.

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Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose, continued with his visits to violent-hit pockets on Saturday. Governor Bose went to Canning, a day after he visited Bhangar on Friday. Trinamool stated that the Governor’s post is a constitutional one. “The Governor should realise he is for (the) entire Bengal, and not for a specific party,” the Trinamool stated.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar met the governor to discuss the present situation. The convoy of Nisith Pramanik, minister of state, home affairs, allegedly was stopped and attacked in north Bengal. The BJP pointed fingers at the supporters of the ruling Trinamool.

In a press conference, the Trinamool said that it’s sending 50 of its leaders across the state in the next 15 days to interact with people. The party also requested that those candidates who have not got the party’s symbol, yet are contesting independently, should withdraw their nominations.

The Trinamool cautioned that if such independent candidates do not do so by June 20, then the party will never take them back, even if they win the polls. The Trinamool stated that it remains “unaffected” and it doesn’t matter to it whether the central forces are deployed, or not.