Even as the ruling Trinamool Congress on Friday scored a “ridiculously abnormal” 94 per cent — after the counting for May 14 panchayat elections came to a close — bagging 589 of 621 Zilla Parishad seats, the Opposition parties demand for President’s Rule gained in decibel level.
While State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said it was for the Governor to weigh up the situation and decide what report he would send to the Centre, Pradesh Congress President Adhir Chowdhury said there was no hope for democracy in Bengal and only President’s Rule could save the State.
“Even during the left rule situation was far better than what it is today,” Chowdhury who earlier led a team of his party men to meet Governor KN Tripathi said. “There is no democracy in Bengal. There is no space for opposition politics. No scope to reach out to people in interior areas. let alone during elections you cannot put your party flags even in normal times,” the leader said. There is no opposition in 10 out of 20 ZPs (district boards) that went to the tree tier polls, SEC sources said. The districts that went opposition-less were Bankura, Hooghly, two Burdwans, North and South 24 Parganas, South Dinajpur, two Midnapores and Jalpaiguri. At Panchayat Samiti level also the ruling party has bagged more than 80 percent seats.
“The panchayat elections were not only farce but a slap on the face of the electorate,” he said adding his party would soon move the High Court against the State Election Commission for violating its order to hold free and fair elections.”
The Court had fixed liability on the Commission and top Government officials saying every poll-related casualty would have to be compensated from the salary and estate of the officials who had expressed satisfaction at the security measures before the elections.