Over 2L people filed nominations for rural polls, process peaceful: Mamata

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee, refuting the Opposition’s claim of large-scale violence, asserted that with 2,31,000 nominations being filed for the Panchayat poll, the process was peaceful and slammed them for stirring up a narrative to malign Bengal and her party.

“There is no other state other than Bengal where the Panchayat poll nomination process is so peaceful. The opposition parties — CPI(M), Congress, BJP and the ISF are trying to blame us over one or two incidents during the nomination exercise,” she said.

Addressing the concluding day of Jana Sanjog Yatra in Kakdwip, Banerjee said: “2,31,000 nominations have been filed for the forthcoming Panchayat polls out of which 82,000 nominations were filed by Trinamool Congress candidates.” She also refuted the Opposition parties’ claims that their candidates were not allowed to submit nominations. “Candidates from the Opposition parties filed around 1,49,000 nominations,” Banerjee stated.

“Out of a total of 2,31,000 nominations filed, Trinamool submitted only 82,000 nominations. Out of 61,000 booths, trouble broke out only in two. Show me one state where Opposition parties have been able to file nominations so peacefully. Some criminals have carried out the Bhangar incident and Trinamool Congress is in no way involved in that. We have lost our two colleagues,” Banerjee said.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the deployment of Central forces in the Panchayat elections, she said: “Central forces are being deployed throughout the state. All the Opposition parties joined hands to malign Trinamool Congress. Only two incidents occurred but the Central forces are being brought here in Bengal. You (Centre) deployed Central forces in Manipur but what happened? A minister’s house was also set on fire and 150 people were killed.”

She took on the erstwhile Left Front government for unleashing terror during its regime. “In the 2003 election, 70 people were killed while in 2008 around 36 people died. The 2013 Panchayat elections were held with the deployment of Central forces and 39 people were killed,” she said.

Referring to the Sitalkuchi incident, Banerjee said four people, including a youth belonging to the Rajbangshi community, were killed in Central force firing.

“Opposition parties often say that there is no peace in Bengal. Was there peace in the state during the CPI(M) regime? CPI(M), BJP and Congress have now become friends. If someone from Trinamool does something they cry corruption. Most of the people in the BJP are thieves and no action is taken against them.”

On the last day of Jana Sanjog Yatra, Banerjee thanked people and her party for making the campaign a grand success. Expressing unhappiness over the way Trinamool Congress leaders are being criticised, she said: “Bad words are often used for Trinamool Congress. Even their families are not spared.”

Speaking about her party’s national general secretary Abhishek, she said: “Some say that Didi has made ‘Bhaipo’ an MP. They also talk about dynastic politics. Let me tell you, Abhishek has had a political sense since he was only 2 years old. In 1990, the CPI(M) people assaulted me and I was severely injured. When I returned home my mother asked me about my health. Abhishek used to listen to our conversation. At the age of 2, he used to march down with a party flag saying: “CPI(M), explain why you beat up Didi?” The Trinamool chairperson presented an old photograph to Abhishek that contains images of herself, her mother and Abhishek who was a child then.