The usually calm and intellectual atmosphere of West Bengal has been prone to violent changes before every election season. The violence was often instigated and sustained by Communist party which ruled Bengal for a long 34 year period. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) was the only participant indulging in baser means to win elections by burning offices, rioting and disallowing the opposition members from contesting elections by use of force. People expected this violence ridden politics in Bengal to end with Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata Banerjee, winning the state elections held in 2011 and ending the long rule of CPI (M) in West Bengal. Sadly, that was not the case. TMC took the reins in their hands, and they started off from where the CPI (M) had left.
They took it as a challenge to outperform their heinous predecessors and now TMC has set new benchmarks in every election. Now, these benchmarks are met and exceeded by them in every election, regardless of the seats up for grabs. There were many videos and posts shared by BJP and other parties during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. These videos showed TMC workers harassing BJP workers from opening offices in localities, resorting to violence in order to stop them from campaigning in areas. Even the CPI (M) party workers received a taste of their own medicine in the 2014 elections. Blows and heated words were frequently exchanged, but seldom were the Mamata Banerjee led TMC members on the receiving end.
The State Election Commission of West Bengal issued a notification on the 31st of March related to 3-phase Panchayat elections about to be held in the state beginning from 1st of May. The last date for filing nominations, according to the notifications, is 9th of April. As soon as this news surfaced, the miscreants and goons of the TMC woke up from their slumber to do what they do best, disruption and vandalism.
BJP workers and leaders in the districts of Birbhum, Murshidabad and Hooghly and Bankura faced attacks from TMC workers. The BJP district general secretary, Kalosona Mondal, was attacked with a knife while coming out of the district magistrate’s office in Suri, Birbhum. The audacity of the goons, who were not afraid to use weapons inside government premises without the fear of police, shows the blatant abuse of power by the West Bengal government. In a similar incident from Lalbagh in Murshidabad, BJP district president Gouri Shankar Ghosh was allegedly beaten with sticks while on his way to file nomination papers of his party candidates. He was accompanied by the candidates who managed to somehow flee from the area. He is currently being treated at the Lalbagh sub-divisional hospital. Similar incidents were faced by BJP candidates in Hooghly area where they were allegedly beaten and then driven out of the SDO office in front of the deputy magistrate.
Disturbing reports from w. Bengal about TMC cadres preventing BJP candidates filing nominations for panchayat elections. There seems little hope of the State Election Commission doing its bit to ensure the right of non-TMC parties to event contest, never mind free and fair polls.
— Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) April 4, 2018
The same TMC leaders who accuse the BJP of resorting to unfair means don’t think twice before resorting to violent and unfair means for political gains. The modus operandi is simple, do the nasty job, pin the blame of violence on BJP if BJP wins but if TMC wins then refute all the claims of violence and call it a propaganda spread by the BJP. Calling their wins fair, and losses rigged have become a norm for TMC. What Mamata ‘Didi’ must realize is that deception can be carried out only so many times. This election violence is hurting the sentiments of the people across the nation, exposing the deceitfulness of TMC and is clearing the road for BJP’s win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
