Campaign alert to TMC candidates

Deb at the Trinamul meeting on
Wednesday. Picture: Kundan Yolmo

TT, Siliguri, April 1: Gautam Deb today said Trinamul's civic election candidates and party leaders should not to use any public address system for the poll campaign without prior permission from the administration.

The minister, who is the seniormost Trinamul leader in north Bengal, told party workers and candidates at the Kanchenjungha Stadium Hall: "I would like to clear one thing. Without taking prior permission from the administration, nobody will be allowed to use public address system for the poll campaign."

He added: "If anyone violates the rule, the party will not stand by him.

"Apart from taking the permission from the administration at least 72 hours before the meeting, the respective candidate will have to inform the district party leadership about the meeting as well."

The sources in Trinamul said that a two-hour-long meeting was called by the party's district chief and the main objective was to tell the candidates and district committee leaders how to focus on campaign and follow the instructions during the poll campaign in respective areas.

The meeting was attended by Rudranath Bhattacharya, the MLA of Siliguri, Krishna Pal and Nantu Paul, both working presidents of the party's district committee.

Later speaking to journalists, Deb said: "We have noticed that a tacit understanding has been already forged among the CPM, Congress and the BJP. But we are confident of doing well in all wards of the civic body here. Our candidates and party workers are well aware of such an alliance of our opposition and we are getting good response during the campaign as well."

The CPM, BJP and the Congress are not in any formal alliance for the SMC elections.

Deb said: "Our main focus is development and several projects have already started. We have decided to highlight the development projects through civic conventions in different wards ahead of the elections. We have a target to organise at least 30 such conventions across the civic area, which will help us to get a proper feedback from the residents as well."