Former leader of opposition and CPM Politburo member, Manik Sarkar, launched a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, accusing them of orchestrating violence and manipulating the recently held Panchayat polls in the state. Sarkar alleged that the entire election process was marred by incidents of violence and irregularities.
In protest against the Panchayat poll violence in West Bengal, Left leaders and workers organized a protest rally on Friday. Sarkar addressed the party workers, asserting that the TMC had looted votes and deprived the citizens of Bengal of their right to vote. He claimed that the ruling party had initiated attacks on opposition parties in West Bengal as soon as the poll schedule was announced. Candidates from opposition parties were reportedly assaulted during the submission of nomination papers.
Sarkar went on to allege that polling agents of the opposition parties faced widespread attacks on the day of polling. These agents were allegedly barred from entering polling booths and were targeted in the presence of security forces, who remained passive observers.
“The miscreants affiliated with the TMC engaged in proxy voting, snatching ballot papers from polling officials and casting votes for TMC candidates a day before polling. On the day of polling, supporters of opposition parties were restricted and attacked, even within the polling booths. The violence continued during the vote counting and its aftermath,” Sarkar claimed.
He further alleged that TMC miscreants snatched certificates from winning opposition candidates, turning the entire election process into a mockery.
Sarkar criticized the State Election Commission (SEC) in Bengal and the police administration, accusing them of biased behavior during the elections. According to him, they acted in favor of the ruling TMC, facilitating its retention of power in the state.
Shifting focus to Tripura, Sarkar also targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. He accused the BJP of hypocrisy, stating that while they claimed to fight for democracy against the TMC in West Bengal, they suppressed democracy in Tripura. Sarkar alleged that the BJP had unleashed terror during every election since 2018 in Tripura, resulting in a loss of public support for the party in the 2023 assembly elections, where they secured less than 40% of the votes.
