KOLKATA: The withdrawal of nominations by opposition candidates for the upcoming municipal elections continued on Saturday, the last day of such exercise, with the opposition parties sending several of their candidates ‘underground’ to ‘save’ them from the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Sources said the withdrawal of candidature was highest in Birbhum among south Bengal districts. In Bolpur municipality, 10 wards out of 22 were announced uncontested on Saturday as all opposition nominations were withdrawn.
In Birbhum’s Rampurhat, five wards went uncontested after all BJP nominees in 18 wards withdrew their papers. In 2015, the BJP had won in four wards in Rampurhat.
Opposition leaders at various municipalities in Birbhum said they sent their candidates underground.
"It is to save our candidates from the atrocities of the TMC. There are several examples of intimidation which forced our candidates to withdraw nominations,’’ said a BJP leader.
‘’The TMC followed the same practice in the 2018 panchayat polls in which the ruling party won 30 per cent of total seats uncontested. The Supreme Court had also expressed concern over the figure of huge number of uncontested seats. The people of Bengal gave a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections next year. The TMC will have to pay for its muscle flexing,’’ said BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.
Refuting the charges of intimidation, senior TMC leaders said the opposition was trying to hide its organisational weakness.
‘‘Candidates are withdrawing nominations on their own after realising people will not vote for them,’’ claimed a TMC leader.
The TMC, too, is facing discontent within the party after many sitting councillors were not given tickets in the February 27 civic polls.
As a large section of the dissidents decided to join the fray as Independents, the TMC warned them of strict action.
‘‘If anyone contests as an independent and wins, he will not be inducted in the party again. They will be expelled,’’ said a TMC leader.
Barrackpore MP’s relatives rejoin TMC
Three BJP leaders, who had withdrawn nominations for polls to the Garulia municipality, on Sunday made their way back to the Trinamool Congress.
Voicing grievance over the saffron party’s style of functioning, former MLA Sunil Singh, his son Aditya and Garulia Municipality’s ex-chairperson Saurabh Singh joined the Trinamool.
The three are relatives of BJP’s Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh. They rejoined the TMC in the presence of Bengal minister Jyotipriyo Mallick and Naihati MLA Partha Bhowmik.