8 NO. OF CONSTITUENCIES NO. OF VOTERS 9

4
Briefly
Track bomb blast
hits train services
Alipurduar/Assam: A bomb
exploded on the railway
tracks between Shreerampur
and Gosaingaon in Alokjhar
bordering Assam, about 72
km from Alipurduar. The
Chennai-Guwahati Express
had barely sped past when
the bomb exploded, causing
a 6-foot crater in the tracks.
Indrajeet Singh, additional
district railway manager,
said the blast had disrupted
train services in the entire
north Bengal zone.
� Two men carry
colourful balls for sale
on a motorcycle at
Ashoknagar on Friday
—Kumar Basu
Trinamool
man shot
dead at
Bally
Our Correspondent
Howrah: Trinamool Congress
leader Tapan Dutta was
shot dead at Bally in Howrah
district by some goons on
Friday. Dutta was shot in the
head around 10 pm near the
Ghoshpara level crossing and
died on the spot. The
deceased was the president
of the TMC’s Domjur zone.
Soon after the killing, the
TMC pointed fingers at the
CPI(M), holding it responsible
for the murder. The latter,
however, denied the charge,
and claimed that he was
killed following the rivalry
over brokerage from land
dealings he had been
involved in.
His brother Bijoy Duta was
killed in the same manner
about two years earlier,
claimed the CPI(M) and
added that the TMC had also
brought allegations against it,
too. Soon after the killing,
Howrah ASP Sumanjit Ray
rushed to the spot with a
large team of policemen and
began a search for the
assailants. After the news of
the killing went around,
locals blocked trains at Bally
as they squatted on the level
crossing to protest the killing.
Train services were disrupted
for half-an-hour. They left
after police convinced them
to withdraw the blockade.
BATTLE FOR WRITERS’
SEEKING BLESSINGS
� Governor M K Narayanan visits the Sankar Math in Howrah
on Friday—Dipankar Majumdar
Kolkata Saturday May 7, 2011
www.thebengalpost.com
BENGAL
ELECTIONS 2011
People still support Left, feels Somnath
� Somnath Chatterjee
TMC wants police
officers removed
Our Correspondent
Kolkata: The Trinamool
Congress (TMC) on Friday
demanded removal of the
officers-in-charge of
Lalgarh, Salboni and
Kotwali police stations in
West Midnapore district
from poll duty. In a complaint
to the Election
Commission (EC), senior
TMC leader Mukul Roy
alleged that the three officers
had allowed the main
accused in the Netai killing
of January 7 to escape. He
said these officers were
playing a partisan role.
The TMC also alleged
that chief minister
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee
violated the model of code
of conduct by holding a
press conference on Friday
just a day ahead of the fifth
phase of polling.
“We are surprised to see
that the three OCs are still
holding on to their old
posts despite being accused
of manipulating the case
files. Even the CBI investigation
officers had found
them guilty and they
should be removed immediately,”
said Roy after
meeting chief electoral officer
Sunil Kumar Gupta.
According to the EC
norms, all forms of advertisement
and campaign
should be stopped 48 hours
before the polling. Roy
claimed that the TMC followed
the EC norms and
did not hold any press conference
neither gave any
advertisement in print and
electronic media after the
campaigning for the fifth
phase came to an end.
“But Bhattacharjee was
seen attending a press con-
Poll code leaves
bananas to rot
Our Correspondent
Raiganj: The imposition of
the model code of conduct
after the announcement of
the Assembly election in
Bengal has led to an unexpected
consequence.
A total of 1,800 banana
plants meant to be distributed
to cultivators, rotted
away at the Hemtabad
block office.
The plants were transported
to the Hemtabad
block office on February 28.
However, with the
announcement of the election
being made on March 1
and the model code of conduct
coming into force, the
administration was unable
to distribute them among
cultivators.
The West Bengal state
food processing and horticulture
department had
sent these plants to be distributed
via self-help
groups to cultivators.
The staff at the Hemtabad
block office said the plants
wilted away after being
exposed to the sun. The
staff said they had contacted
the district administration
but had not received
a response.
An office staff said: “We
sent a request letter to the
district administration to
protect the banana plants,
but we did not get any
proper answer. So, we do
not know what to do with
these plants.”
He added: “This type of
tissue culture banana plants
is not available very easily.
So, we do not know how to
manage the situation. We
have sent a report to the
district administration.”
Subhojit Gupta, the block
development officer of
Hemtabad said the administration
had sent a letter to
the state election commission
with regard to the
plants. However, it had not
received any order with
regard to the issue.
We are surprised
to see the three
OCs are still
holding on to their
old posts despite
being accused of
manipulating the
case files
—Mukul Roy, TMC leader
ference a day before the
polling day. If he is allowed
to address a press conference,
why are we barred
from giving advertisement
or holding press conference?”
asked Roy.
The TMC also urged the
CEO to ensure proper security
arrangement at Raina,
Jamuria, Raniganj,
Sonamukhi, Taldangra,
Keshpur, Ghatal, Garbeta
and other sensitive areas.
“We have received complaints
from the TMC and
forwarded it to the EC office
in New Delhi. We will look
in to the allegations,” said
Gupta.
Bhaskar Mukherjee
Santiniketan: “Whatever happened
in Nandigram was unfortunate.
I completely disagree
with that. But the Left Front is
ruling the state for the last 35
years only due to the immense
support of the people of West
Bengal and not as anyone’s
favour,” said Somnath Chatterjee
as he lashed out at the
Opposition in an interview at his
residence in Santiniketan on
Friday.
When asked about the winds
of change blowing across the
state, the former Lok Sabha
Speaker said: “Change is an
inevitable part of society. Even at
the Centre, six different governments
were formed in the last 11
tenures. But since it is West
Bengal, this is being exaggerated
as if everything is coming to an
end. The Left Front government is
in power for the last 35 years.
This has been possible due to the
support and love of the common
people, especially towards
CPI(M). However, there have
been some changes since 2005.
Still the maximum number of
zilla parishads and gram panchayats
are under CPI(M). So, it is
useless to think that people are
no longer with the Left Front.”
He regretted the Nandigram
firing issue.
“But after that the role of the
Opposition was astonishing. They
are supporting the Maoists,
whom the Centre has called the
‘biggest security threat to the
nation’ and who are responsible
for several bomb blasts in the
country. The common people will
not tolerate this. They are not
fools,” said the expelled CPI(M)
leader accusing the Opposition of
harbouring links with the
Maoists.
He could not forget former
chief minister Jyoti Basu either.
“He was a different person and
a mass leader altogether. I’m
grateful that I came in touch with
him. The way he left his settled
life and dedicated it to the betterment
of the common mass is
worth admiring. Once he told me
that politics is the only way
through which we can serve
humanity and I always wanted to
walk the same path,” said
Chatterjee walking down memory
lane.
“I’ve been to quite a few public
meetings and people have
thronged those in large numbers.
The people of the state are still
with the Left Front. This has been
proved. But I cannot say anything
about who will form the next
government,” said Somnath
Chatterjee when asked about
supporting the CPI(M) in the
ongoing Assembly poll.
EC seeks probe into EVM hacking
Our Correspondent
Kolkata: The Election
Commission (EC) has asked
the state police to investigate
and submit within 24
hours, a report on complaints
by the CPI(M) that
electronic voting machines
used in polling had been
hacked into.
A copy of the complaint
was sent to the EC headquarters
in New Delhi.
“We have asked the ADG
(Law and Order) to conduct
an enquiry on this matter.
The commission has taken
the matter very seriously. It
is a very serious allegation
with respect to EVMs,” said
CONCERNED MOVE
chief electoral officer Sunil
Kumar Gupta on Friday.
CPI(M) representatives
including senior leaders Md
Salim and Sukhendu
Panigrahi met Gupta and
CPM worker held
for bribing official
Our Correspondent
Purulia: A CPI(M) worker in
Kashipur was arrested on
Thursday for allegedly bribing
a government official
two days ahead of the fifth
phase of voting. Jagadish
Mandal of Rangamati was
caught red-handed handing
over `48,000 to an official for
distribution among voters.
Swapan Belthoria, the
Trinamool Congress (TMC)
candidate from Kashipur
constituency, had complained
to the police about
the bribery. Police then
arrested Mandal.
However, the accused, still
in police custody, said he was
being framed. But police said
he had confessed to the
crime during interrogation.
On Friday too, three men
were caught distributing
sacks of rice at Malati village
under Balarampur police station.
The villagers and TMC
workers in the area informed
the policemen, who arrested
the men for allegedly bribing
voters.
Jagadish Mandal
of Rangamati was
caught handing
over `48,000 to
an official
TMC leaders said they
knew CPI(M) workers would
such things and as such had
alerted the police beforehand.
But CPI(M) leaders
denied allegation of bribing
voters.
CPM, Trinamool engage in
post-election violence
Our Correspondent
Contai: Violence has
re-started in East
Midnapore’s Khejuri after
voting ended on Tuesday,
May 3.
Two days later, on
Thursday night, Trinamool
Congress (TMC) workers
allegedly beat up three
CPI(M) supporters, and
later, CPI(M) men allegedly
thrashed three TMC workers.
In between, police
have taken into preventive
custody 26 alleged miscreants
from both the parties.
“Three of our comrades
were severely beaten up
by a group of TMC workers
while they were harvesting
paddy near Khejuri.
They were badly injured
and had to be hospitalised,”
said Jishanshu
Das, convener of
Khejuri Zonal Organising
Committee. Later, Ashim
Mondol, the Left Front candidate
from Khejuri constituency,
visited the hospital.
Police sources
said 26 people
were arrested
and personnel
were sent to the
troubled spots
“TMC men started the
trouble but irony is that
police arrested 20 of our
supporters,” said Das.
But TMC men on the
other side accused CPI (M)
‘goons’ of assaulting their
supporters.
“CPI(M) brought goons
from outside and set up a
camps at Serkhan Chawk.
Some armed miscreants
from the camp attacked
three students of the local-
ity since they had worked
for our party during the
poll,” said Shyamal Mishra,
a TMC leader. The three
were given emergency
treatment at the health
centre. One teenager was
later sent to Contai district
hospital after his condition
deteriorated.
He said 30 goons were
staying in the armed camp.
“We have asked the police
to dismantle the camp,
which is the creating
terror in the area.”
Superintendent of police,
rural, later told reporters at
a press conference that 26
men had been arrested so
far and a police contingent
had been sent to the troubled
spots to contain postpoll
clashes. He said the 11
companies of paramilitary
forces deployed for poll
duty would stay put in the
district for the entire
month.
� The EC has asked the
state police to investigate
and submit a report on
the complaints made by
the CPI(M) about
hacking of EVMs
� Senior party leaders like
Md Salim and Sukhendu
Panigrahi lodged the
complaint
lodged their complaint. They
demanded the intervention
of the EC into the matter and
an investigation.
The CPI (M) leaders said
their party’s Bankura district
committee had received a
fraudulent email, purportedly
from state Congress
president Manas Bhunia.
Salim said that in a bid to
malign the image of politicians,
cyber criminals were
trying to entrap the CPI(M)
by making local leaders
believe that they could hack
EVMs and get a better margin
for the party in Bankura.
Meanwhile, a senior official
said the state police’s
cyber crime wing has been
asked to prepare the report.
“The EC is very sensitive
about EVMs. Therefore, the
EC wants investigation
reports as soon as possible,”
he said.
Trinamool
Congress
supporter
injured
Our Correspondent
Krishnagar: A Trinamool
Congress worker in Nadia
district, who was wanted by
the police in connection with
some criminal cases, was
seriously injured in a clash
with unknown persons
reportedly backed by the
CPI(M).
Shankar Ghosh, a resident
of Govindapur village under
Krishnagunge police station,
was attacked and injured by
the men armed with sharp
weapons at a local primary
school on Thursday night. He
was reportedly hiding in the
school.
The panchayat pradhan of
Govindapur gram panchayat
belonging to the TMC,
Ramesh Chandra Biswas, in a
statement alleged that
Ghosh was assaulted by
CPI(M) backed goons following
a verbal duel with them
at a marriage party on
Thursday night.
He said Ghosh had been
admitted to the Shaktinagar
Health Centre for treatment.
The district CPI(M), however,
denied any connection
with the incident and
termed the incident a case of
rivalry between two feuding
factions of locally active
criminals.
Meanwhile, the incident
had created a flutter in the
locality with residents of
that panchayat area raising
questions regarding the
security of students of the
school that reportedly has
become a hideout for active
criminals.
Left goes all out against
Centre on petro price hike
Our Correspondent
Kolkata: After the black
money allegations, the Left
Front has come up with a
new poll plank before the
last two phases of the ongoing
Assembly election, with
chief minister Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee and state
Citu president Shyamal
Chakrabarty going all out to
corner the Centre on supposed
price hike of petroleum
goods.
“The Centre is waiting for
the Assembly elections to be
over in five states to increase
the prices of petroleum
products. It would be the
Centre’s gift to aam admi.
The prices of the petroleum,
diesel, kerosene and cooking
gas would be out of touch for
the middle class. Moreover,
this hike would consequently
shoot up the prices
of other essential commodities.
At the time when we are
talking about subsidies, the
central government will hold
We suspect that
the decision in this
regard (petro price
hike) has been
taken much earlier
—Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee,
chief minister
a meeting on May 11 and
probably take the final decision
on the petroleum price
hike,” Bhattacharjee told
reporters. The chief minister
further said: “We suspect
that the decision in this
regard has been taken much
earlier and they are waiting
for the election to be over.”
Chakrabarty claimed that
the railway ministry had
raised the freight rate on
transporting coal which
would result in increasing
electricity charges.
“The Centre is referring to
a loss and saying it is under
recovery. But why they have
chosen the time after the
election? The Left trade
unions are asked to demonstrate
against it on May 12
throughout the state, especially
the workers in transport
sector,” he said.
Taking a dig at Trinamool
Congress (TMC)
chief Mamata Banerjee,
Bhattacharjee said: “The
TMC is claiming that they
will introduce a special package
for Jangalmahal. But we
have already implemented
it. We believe that the Maoist
problem is not because of
lack of development. The
reasons are something else.
The Left Front government
has implemented several
schemes for the benefit of
the poor, like distribution of
land pattas, health scheme,
special facilities for students
and employment generation,”
said the chief minister.