‘Prepared to give explanation to EC on black money allegation’, says Mamata

April 18, 2011 08:49 pm | Updated September 27, 2016 01:28 am IST - Suri

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee addressing an election rally at Bolpur in Birbhum district, West Bengal on Monday. Photo: PTI

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee addressing an election rally at Bolpur in Birbhum district, West Bengal on Monday. Photo: PTI

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today described as “canard” CPI(M)’s allegation that her party was using black money for election campaign and said she was prepared to give an explanation to the Election Commission but not to the Left Front.

“We will give explanation to the Election Commission, if required, and not to CPI(M),” she said while addressing a series of election meetings in Birbhum district.

She also denied CPI(M)’s charge that huge amounts of money were being used by Trinamool for advertisement and alleged that the Left Front government had published advertisements using government money to serve their interest.

Ms. Banerjee also defended her use of helicopter for poll campaign and claimed that the helicopter she was using had been given by the Congress.

“It is of great help as I am able to cover so many places addressing meetings within a short time. But besides helicopter, I am also using car to address election meetings at night,” she said adding that CPI(M) had also used helicopters during the 2006 Assembly polls and the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

She appealed to voters not to support the BJP or independents who, she said, were out to “divide votes at the instance of the CPI(M).”

BJP has fielded candidates in all 12 constituencies in Birbhum district among which Mayureswar and Rampurhat.

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