The Congress has accused its former ally Trinamool Congress of pushing Bengal into a state of acute lawlessness. Wondering as to why the State administration sparingly used the Central forces allowing Trinamool Congress cadre to “literally take control of the polling booths” during the first phase of the panchayat elections held in the three Jangalmahal districts of Bankura, Purulia and West Midnapore on Thursday, AICC member Shakeel Ahmed Khan said there was no law and order in Bengal.
“The first phase of polls has proved that there is no rule of law in Bengal. Things have been allowed to lapse into anarchy as can be seen from the way the first phase of panchayat elections were held,” Khan, the special AICC emissary sent by Rahul Gandhi to witness things for himself, said on Friday.
Khan visited hospitals to inquire about the health of Congress workers allegedly attacked by the Trinamool men during the polls. One among them was shot through chest with an arrow. Khan said he would “sit tight in Bengal till the polls were over and would tour around personally to see how much strength the murderers hold in their arms.”
Rahul Gandhi’s prompt steps upon the complaints of the WBPCC indicate some possibility of Central action during the elections “at least in the field of putting the Central forces to proper use”, State Congress sources said.
Curiously Jangalmahal saw a huge voter turnout on Thursday recording about 86 per cent polling even as the voters cast their votes well past 4 am after standing in long queues. Such a large turnout — ever since the districts were hit by extreme leftist movement when poll percentage hovered around 70 per cent — was an open rejection of the Maoist ideas, experts felt.
This apart the political quarters remained baffled with the massive turnout and wondered whether the Opposition left or the ruling Trinamool Congress would be the ultimate beneficiary of it particularly against the backdrop of falling procurement price of paddy rising law and order problems that got reflected in the incidents of rapes.
Meanwhile, in yet another jolt to the Bengal Government the Calcutta High Court on Friday pulled up the State administration for not complying its order banning motorbike processions during the panchayat elections.