The opposition CPM which boasts of its root in the state since Royal time and once ruled the state from 1979 to 2018, missing only five years in between 1988-1993, now faced such an erosion of its base that the party even failed to put up candidates in seven Urban Local Bodies. Of them, five are municipalities and rest two are Nagar Panchayats. CPM secretary Jitendra Choudhury , however, claims the CPM could not field its candidate due to intimidations and terror tactics of the ruling BJP.
The CPM failed to file nominations in Shantirbazar, Udaipur, Bishalgarh, Mohanpur and Ranirbazaar municipalities and Jirania and Kamalpur nagar Panchayats.
Choudhury squarely held the ruling BJP as responsible for the non-submission of the CPM candidates’ failure to submit nomination papers.
“We had urged the State Election Commission during the all party meeting last month to ensure free and fair election but no necessary initiatives was forthcoming”, he rued. Choudhury also rued the role of the police and alleged, ‘the police acted on the behest of the ruling BJP party.”
He however said that the CPI-M party shall fight against all odds till the end.