Resist attacks on democracy by Trimool, CPI-M asks people

Kolkata, April 26: The CPI-M on Sunday accused West Bengal’s ruling Trimool Congress of having reduced the elections to 91 civic bodies in the state to a “mockery or democracy”, and urged the Election Commission to review the situation and make adequate arrangements when assembly polls are held next year. The Communist Party of India-Marxist called upon the people of the state to “resist such attacks on democracy by the Trimool Congress”. “The elections to 91 municipalities including two corporations in West Bengal held on April 25 constitute a total mockery of democracy. Polling booths were captured, opposition parties agents’ driven out and voting manipulated,” the CPI-M politburo said in a statement. It alleged that the Trimool let loose its workers and “armed hooligans” to deny people the right to a free and fair election both on Saturday, and on April 18 when the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls were held.

“A small contingent of central forces sent on the eve of the election were not deployed by the state government and instead sent for sightseeing. This is a blot on Indian democracy,” the politburo said. Howevever, the party noted that in various parts of the state there was widespread “people’s resistance” against display of “muscle power and manipulation of the democratic process”. (ians)