Left slams Bengal govt, says administration failed to hold fair panchayat polls

Kolkata: The opposition Left Front on Saturday alleged that the West Bengal administration has failed in holding free and fair voting in third round of the five-phase panchayat elections and sought the State Election Commission's intervention.

"Effective action has not been taken during the third phase of polls Friday. Though the central forces' deployment has increased since the first two phases, it is not enough. They are not being put to use in the right manner," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretariat member Robin Deb told reporters here.

Led by Deb, a Left Front delegation handed over a memorandum to the SEC alleging "inefficient deployment of central security forces" and sought precautionary measures ahead of the fourth and the final phase of polling July 22 and 25.

Four people were killed, including one in firing by central security forces, Friday in round three of the five-phase elections in the districts of Howrah, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas.

Three deaths were reported from South 24 Parganas district, and another in North 24 Parganas district, while bombs were hurled outside a polling booth in Udaynarayanpur of Howrah district.

Among those killed was, Motherbux Mallick, a CPI-M supporter, who died in a bomb attack while standing in the queue for voting in Bodai of Amdanga block in North 24 Parganas.

Deb said the delegation in its earlier complaint to the SEC had warned of a possibility of violence in Amdanga.

"In Howrah, bombings have continued even a day after the polls. In Amta and Udaynarayanpur, ballot boxes were snatched. We knew there would be problems in Amdanga," said Deb.

Referring to the ruling Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mandal who Wednesday allegedly exhorted party workers to hurl bombs at police and damage houses of independent candidates, Deb deplored the state of affairs.

"One after the other such incidents are occurring and TMC leaders are threatening of indulging in destructive actions. This is the way things are going on," said Deb.