The Hindu : National : Stray incidents mar Kolkata civic polls

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Monday, Jun 20, 2005

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National

Stray incidents mar Kolkata civic polls

Special Correspondent

Jyoti Basu criticises police for failing to arrest troublemakers

Photo: Sushanta Patronobish

Awaiting their turn: A queue outside a polling booth in Central Kolkata during the election to the Municipal Corporation on Sunday

KOLKATA: Stray incidents of violence marred the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the Bidhannagar [Salt Lake] Municipality elections, which were held on Sunday.

In one incident, the personal assistant of veteran leader, Jyoti Basu, was hurt.

With mercury hovering around 40 degrees Celsius, the turn-out was nearly 72 per cent in the election considered particularly significant as it is the last before the West Bengal Assembly polls next year. Elections were also held for the Uttarpara-Kotrong Municipality in Hooghly.

Beaten up

Tension ran high in some places in the city and Bidhannagar as the pace of voting picked up in the afternoon. Communist Party of India [Marxist] MP Amitava Nandy and Joykrishna Ghosh, personal assistant of the former Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu, were beaten up when the Rapid Action Force used batons to disperse a group which stormed a polling both in ward 12 of the Bidhannagar municipality.

Mr. Basu criticised the police for the attack in which the CPI (M) leaders and workers were injured and also for failing to arrest the troublemakers. Mr. Ghosh showed Mr. Basu the bruises he sustained in the violence. "He said he was hit in the eye by a Trinamool worker and subsequently by the police and the man who had first assaulted him was let off," Mr. Basu told The Hindu adding "I told him to visit a doctor immediately. It is sad that in [what could be] the last election [for me] our police have beaten up our own partymen."

"Over the past 28 years [since the Left Front came to power] I have never heard of such a thing. I was also told that there had been instructions last evening [to the police] to question anyone close to a polling booth. What sort of law is this... this is not permissible under the Constitution," he said.

Both Mr. Nandy and Mr. Ghosh had gone to the booth on hearing that CPI(M) workers and polling agents had been allegedly driven out from the area by supporters of the Trinamool Congress.

The CPI (M) State secretary, Anil Biswas, said the State administration would be inquiring into the incident.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Ghosh accompanied Mr. Basu when the latter went to cast his vote in Bidhannagar area.

At least 10 persons were injured in stray clashes. There were also reports of bombs being hurled. These apart, polling was largely peaceful, Additional Director-General of Police [Law and Order], Chayan Mukherjee, said.

Over 150 held

Over 150 persons were arrested in the city for the violence and trying to disrupt the poll process.

Opposition leaders alleged "booth-jamming" and rigging by supporters of the Left parties.Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said: "The Left Front Government has no moral right to continue in office after having conducted the elections in such a partisan manner. The vote makes no sense... it was held amid rigging and fear."

Outgoing KMC Board Mayor Subrata Mukherjee who is the mayoral candidate of the Congress-led Opposition combine, said there were reports of booth capturing and assault of candidates by Left workers in at least 26 of the 141 wards.

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