KOLKATA: Residents of Kanksa in Paschim Burdwan district woke up to a unique event on Friday when they witnessed CPM candidate from Trilokchandrapur panchayat Chavi Oraon campaigning for rival TMC candidate for the upcoming panchayat elections.
Without withdrawing her nomination, Chavi said she realised that her contesting election on a CPM ticket was a mistake as TMC has brought infrastructural development to the area which is why she decided to campaign for TMC candidate Zarina Khatun.
“I am contesting on a CPM ticket, but please do not vote for me and vote the TMC candidate instead,” she urged her voters.
Incidentally, Trilokchandrapur has been a CPM stronghold till now with the Left winning 17 of the 18 seats in the panchayat samiti in 2013. This year too they have fielded 18 candidates.
“Roads have been built and people have got 100 day work under MGNREGA. I realised that there was no need for me to contest on a CPM ticket against development. People of our region will benefit if TMC wins. Hence, I have decided to campaign for them and I this is my voluntary decision without any intimidation,” she said. The CPM candidate is yet to withdraw her nomination.
Local TMC candidate Zarina Khatun said that Chavi voluntarily joined them while they
were campaigning and was readily accepted.
Reacting to this unique event, local CPM leader Bireshwar Mondal said that people were watching the antics of the ruling party and would give them a befitting reply in the panchayat elections. On the other hand, TMC leader Pallab Bandopadhyay said that CPM had lured many candidates by giving them false promises. “Many candidates have ‘realised their mistake’ and joining the TMC bandwagon. Chavi Oraon wanted to keep a distance from CPM,” he said.
Meanwhile, a BJP leader attempted suicide by consuming poison after TMC men allegedly forced her wife to withdraw her nomination on a BJP ticket. BJP leader Sujit Roy has been admitted to Ghatal Super-specialty Hospital in Paschim Medinipur district and is out of danger.
Local Ghatal BJP leader Sushanta Mondal claimed that Krishnarani Roy had filed her nomination from Manikundu village of Chandrakona 1 block on a BJP ticket but was forced to withdraw her nomination under pressure from TMC. Sujit Roy attempted to commit suicide as a protest against the allegedly forced withdrawal of nomination.