TMC candidate puts up posters urging voters to report if stopped from casting franchise

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tarak Singh, who is the outgoing coordinator of ward 118 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), has adopted a unique way to ensure that voters can cast their democratic rights in a free and fair manner.

Singh has put up some 180 odd hoardings in four wards—116, 117, 118 and 119— with his own mobile number and that of officer in-charge of Behala and New Alipore police station with the message that voters can call up at any of these numbers if they are stopped by anybody while casting their votes on December 19. Singh has asserted that he will make arrangements to take the aggrieved voter to the earmarked place for voting. He is contesting the KMC polls from ward 118.

The hoarding bears a photo and the message of the party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, who in a strategy meeting with all party nominees of the KMC on December 4, had advocated for free and fair elections and made it clear that the party would expel any leader or worker if found to be indulging in any attempt to stop any voter from casting his or her franchise. It further states that the administration will take legal action against such a person.

Among the 180 hoardings that have been put up, 100 are in Bengali language while 80 are in Hindi. Around 25 to 30 per cent of voters in the four wards are Hindi-speaking.

Tarak Singh's son Amit is contesting from ward 117 while his daughter Krishna has been fielded from ward 116. The four wards are a part of Behala East and Behala West Assembly constituency, where TMC had managed to take a convincing lead in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

"We believe that every person has the right for free and fair elections and we want to ensure it. The other political parties are also welcome to join in the campaign for ensuring democratic rights of every voter and we are also ready to hold joint meetings in this matter," Singh, who is the outgoing member mayor- in-council (Sewerage & Drainage) of KMC said.

"This is really a great initiative. We are hopeful that voters can vote for the candidate of his or her choice without any trouble,"septuagenarian Raju Pramanik, a resident of ward 118, said.