‘I was forced to hold polls during Ramzan’
9 July 2013 11:35 PM GMT
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee told a Trinamool Congress gathering at Lalgarh in Maoist-infested Jangalmahal on Monday that she did not want to hold panchayat elections during the Ramzan month, but was forced to go for it due to state election commission.
‘We wanted to hold the elections in December. But our government was not allowed to go for the elections at that time. Later we also tried to hold the elections in March this year, but that time too, we failed to organise the polls due to many reasons. The state election commission had moved court and dates for holding the polls were changed thrice,’ Mamata told a rally at Lalgarh.
Stating that her government was compelled to hold the elections during Ramzan and during monsoon, Banerjee said that it is the CPI(M) that increased the tenure of the State Election Commission from 3 years to 6 years. She also accused the CPIM of failuring to carry out development schemes in the economically backward districts like West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia which is known as Jangalmahal.
‘What have the Marxists done for you in 35 years? They have only created one crore jobless youngsters,’ said Banerjee, adding that her government had already carried out massive development work for this backward zone.
Blasting the CPIM, Banerjee alleged, ‘The CPIM is engaged in hatching conspiracies again. The former chief minister (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee) is issuing threats again. His party is getting patronage from the Congress and the Maoists. But I am telling you that these forces would not be able to come back to power again, people will reject them.’ The security ring around the the chief minister was unprecedented on Monday.
‘We wanted to hold the elections in December. But our government was not allowed to go for the elections at that time. Later we also tried to hold the elections in March this year, but that time too, we failed to organise the polls due to many reasons. The state election commission had moved court and dates for holding the polls were changed thrice,’ Mamata told a rally at Lalgarh.
Stating that her government was compelled to hold the elections during Ramzan and during monsoon, Banerjee said that it is the CPI(M) that increased the tenure of the State Election Commission from 3 years to 6 years. She also accused the CPIM of failuring to carry out development schemes in the economically backward districts like West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia which is known as Jangalmahal.
‘What have the Marxists done for you in 35 years? They have only created one crore jobless youngsters,’ said Banerjee, adding that her government had already carried out massive development work for this backward zone.
Blasting the CPIM, Banerjee alleged, ‘The CPIM is engaged in hatching conspiracies again. The former chief minister (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee) is issuing threats again. His party is getting patronage from the Congress and the Maoists. But I am telling you that these forces would not be able to come back to power again, people will reject them.’ The security ring around the the chief minister was unprecedented on Monday.
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