Separate in contest, together in nomination ...Rivals cite TMC poll 'terror'

Three alleged Trinamul workers — one with a firearm and the other two with sticks — stand guard in Birbhum’s Nanoor on Wednesday to prevent Opposition candidates from filing nominations. Picture by Paritosh Das 

SNEHAMOY CHAKRABORTY & KOUSIK SEN, TT, Apr 05, 2018, Bolpur/ Raiganj: Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Foot-soldiers of Opposition parties in several districts in Bengal appear to have drawn inspiration from the adage and forged an "alliance" of sorts to file rural poll nominations together on specific days to resist alleged attempts by the ruling Trinamul to prevent rivals from collecting the forms and submitting them at government offices.

The Opposition parties in Birbhum, on the boil since the nominations started on Monday, were the first to strike such an "alliance".

"This is the first of its kind in the political history of Bengal...Given the Trinamul hegemony in rural Bengal, this is probably the only thing they could have done to take part in the rural polls," said a Calcutta-based political science professor.

Since the nominations started, several attacks on Opposition leaders and candidates have been reported from Birbhum, Murshidabad, Hooghly, Purulia, Cooch Behar, Malda and North Dinajpur, prompting the "alliance".

Sources in the CPM and the BJP said the "alliance" had helped them file 32 and five nominations respectively on Tuesday at Mayureswar in Birbhum - a former fortress of the Left.

In Rampurhat, also in Birbhum, the BJP, CPM and the Congress have fixed April 6 and 7 for collection and submission of nominations. Local leaders have decided to bring processions of at least 5,000 supporters, drawn from all three parties, for the filings.

CPM district secretary Manasa Hansda said: "Opposition party leaders are being beaten up even in front of district magistrate's office. Block offices are in the control of Trinamul goons."

Subhashis Chowdhury, a BJP general secretary in Birbhum, echoed the view. "We are sure that if all Opposition parties go together and file nominations the same day, Trinamul can't stop us."

In Murshidabad, CPM and Congress candidates have worked out plans to jointly file nominations, said sources. Similar arrangements have been firmed up in Bankura, with CPM district secretary Ajit Pati welcoming the initiative on a day a BJP nominee died after being attacked while on way to file his nomination.

In North Dinajpur, BJP leaders have put a similar proposal to the Congress and the CPM. "There is no (poll) alliance among us. But to resist Trinamul's attacks, this (filing together) can be effective," said Apurba Pal, the district CPM secretary.

CPM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said, however, that only Left candidates would collect and file nominations together. "There is no question of any joint initiative with the Congress or the BJP to collect and file papers," Mishra added.

Trinamul-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy backed the efforts. "Why not? It's not a question of contesting the polls together or striking an alliance...It's about standing up together to resist Trinamul terror," said Roy.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ABHIJEET CHATTERJEE IN DURGAPUR