Alleging that its nominees were prevented at various places from filing their nomination papers for the upcoming rural polls for the second day on Thursday, the Left Front leadership said unless the State Election Commission takes the necessary steps, a “free and fair election is impossible”.
“A situation is being created where activists of the ruling party, in league with a section of the police and the general administration, are perpetrating such attacks,” said chairperson of the Left Front Biman Bose.
The filing of nomination papers by candidates in the State’s nine districts that go to the polls in the first phase of the polls on July 2 began on Wednesday when both the Left Front and the Congress had made similar allegations against the Trinamool Congress.
The second and third phase of the polls will be held on July 6 and 9.
“There have been attacks on and forcible prevention of our nominees from collecting or filing their nomination papers in various places in 13 blocks of Bardhaman district,” Mr. Bose said, adding that such incidents were also reported from areas in some other districts like Panskura in Purba Medinipur and Bhangar in South 24 Parganas.
The Left Front has also sought the Chief Election Commissioner’s intervention for ensuring peaceful polling in the by-polls for the Howrah Lok Sabha seat scheduled for Sunday.
In a letter, Mr. Bose alleged that Trinamool Congress supporters were intimidating local leaders and workers of the Left parties and warning them of dire consequences if they refused to stay away from election campaigning. Some leaders have been attacked, he added.
The Trinamool Congress was using a section of the police administration in its plans to ensure that none, except its workers, can campaign in most areas of the parliamentary constituency, Mr. Bose alleged.
“The State government, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is violating the model code of conduct,” he added.
