The submission of nominations for the ensuing Panchayat polls commenced on Thursday, amid allegations from Congress and CPM over hijacking of nomination papers and inadequate security measures.
CPM candidates skipped filing nominations at Nalchar, citing a lack of security. Under the Sonamura sub-division, which includes Boxanagar, Nalchar, Mohanbhog, and Kathalia rural development blocks, the CPM candidates managed to file nominations in three blocks but expressed dissatisfaction with the security at Nalchar.
There were also allegations of harassment. A teacher reportedly faced harassment while on official duty, and a local Congress leader was prevented from entering the block office. In Sonamura, neither Congress nor BJP filed any nominations on the first day of the ongoing process.
A significant number of CPM supporters gathered near the Nalchar Block Office to file nominations for thirteen Panchayat Samiti seats and various Gram Panchayat seats. However, the group, led by former MLA Tapan Chandra Das, skipped filing nominations due to concerns over inadequate security measures. The former MLA mentioned that there was no interference from BJP workers. Around 200-250 CPM leaders, workers, and candidates found only 5-6 police personnel on duty at the Block Office premises. Despite repeated requests, the security arrangement was not deemed sufficient.
Adding to the tension, Saroj Kant Das, a teacher from Baghmara Senior Basic School, was reportedly manhandled while on duty near the Block Office, though he did not file a formal complaint. Additionally, Congress leader Paresh Debnath faced obstructions from alleged BJP supporters while attempting to attend a government meeting on election matters at the Block Office.
Despite these issues, CPM candidates successfully filed nominations in three blocks without any reported disturbances. At Mohanbhog Block Office, CPM candidates filed nominations for five out of nine Panchayat Samiti seats. The candidates included Dilip Das (seat 1), Sufia Khatun (seat 2), Anisur Rahman (seat 4), Arvind Das (seat 5), and Sangeeta Sarkar (seat 6).
At Boxanagar Block Office, nominations were filed by CPM for three Zilla Parishad seats, with Jasmin Sultana (seat 15), Abu Zafar (seat 16), and Nimai Das (seat 17) as the candidates.
At Kathalia Block Office, CPM candidates filed nominations for twenty positions across five Gram Panchayats on the first day. This included four seats in Sonapur, four in Dhanpur, five in North Paharpur, four in East Paharpur, and three in South Paharpur.
