The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday won two civic bodies that were scheduled to hold elections on February 27 without any contest. The Opposition parties including the BJP failed to put up any candidate on a majority of the wards in the two municipalities, making it a cakewalk for the Trinamool Congress.
February 9 was the last day for filing nomination papers for polls to 108 civic bodies. BJP has not been able to file nomination papers in a number of wards across several municipalities .
The two municipalities where the TMC won uncontested are Sainthia in Birbhum district, where of the 16 municipal wards, there were no Opposition candidates in 13. In the remaining three wards, the candidates of Left parties had contested against the TMC. At Budge Budge municipality, out of 20 wards there was no Opposition candidate on 12 awards and the TMC won the municipality located in South 24 Parganas.
The BJP leadership accused the TMC of threatening and pressurising their candidates. At Bolpur municipality few BJP candidates who were on their way to file nomination papers wereallegedly locked inside a house. They were later rescued from captivity.
However, the TMC’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal said there was no violence and told journalists to produce any visual evidence of any violence and obstruction of BJP nominees. Mr. Mondal known to speak in political innuendos once again raised slogan “Khela Hobe ( Game is on)” and said after Sainthia, the “Khela Hobe” will be enacted in other municipalities of the district.
While there are no reports of majorincidents of violence during the nomination process, yet remarks by some leaders were provocative. TMC MLA from Dinhata in Cooch Behar Udayan Guha had used a phrase “Duare Prahar ( Thrashing at doorstep)” after the civic polls were announced. The phrase was a play on several schemes of the State government where services are delivered at doorstep, for instance, Rationsat Doorstep ( Duare Ration) is a scheme of providing foodgrains under public distribution system. On Wednesday, there was tension in Dinhata as BJP nominees filed their nomination papers. At some other district the candidates of ruling party were seen playing hockey outside nomination centers.
During the day the Trinamool Congress appointed two new observers for civic polls in South 24 Parganasafter candidates whose names had figured in the first list of party candidates and not in final list were seen filing nomination papers. The State’s ruling party had issued direction that a list signed by the leaders of the party is official and not the one which was made public on social media.
