Left threat over rural board delay - Mishra writes to state election commissioner

Asok Bhattacharya at the rally on Kutcheri Road in Siliguri. (Kundan Yolmo)

TT, Siliguri, Oct. 28: Leaders of the Darjeeling Left Front today said it would start an extensive movement if the state government does not issue a notification to form boards in the three tiers of the Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad.

The Left, which has the numbers to form boards at all three levels, fears that the state government has delayed issuing the notification as it wants Trinamul to wean away Opposition winners.

In Calcutta, Surya Kanta Mishra, the leader of Opposition in the Assembly, wrote to the state election commissioner asking him to ensure that notification for the result of the three-tier SMP polls is issued by the panel without further delay.

The Left Front leaders, including Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya, marched to the SDO’s office this afternoon accompanied by over 200 CPM supporters to submit a memorandum demanding the notification for board formation. Similar marches and demonstrations were held outside BDO offices in Phansidewa, Matigara, Naxalbari and Khoribari blocks of Siliguri sub-division.

The results of the October 3 elections were announced on October 7.

Administrative officials today said the notification by the state panchayat and rural development department would be issued soon. “We are expecting the notification within next few days. Only after the notification is issued, we can initiate further processes to form the boards,” a senior official said.   

“The SMP election results were announced 20 days back. The voters have spoken against the Trinamul candidates. But surprisingly, we have seen that the state did not bother to issue any notification for the formation of the boards at the SMP and in the two lower tiers.

“On the other hand, boards were formed at the civic bodies of Asansol and Bidhannagar, where elections were held on the same day. The state is being biased and we want to make it clear that if the state does not issue the notification within next two days, we will launch an extensive movement,” Bhattacharya said.

“We have passed on this message to the government through the SDO today.”

Bhattacharya reiterated that the ruling party was resorting to horse-trading to secure majority in the rural bodies.

“People here have taught a lesson to Trinamul leaders. The leaders, however, are unperturbed and are now involve in horse-trading. This is why the state is delaying issuing the notification,” he said.

Mishra, in his letter to the election commissioner, wrote that the gazette notification for the results of the three-tier SMP polls had not been issued and is not available in the commission’s website.