Reds to ride on raids in Midnapore

The CPI-M has decided to go to town with the Election Commission's "neutrality", reports Aloke Banerjee.

It is an advantage by default.

HT Image

The Reds are planning to turn the EC's botched-up raid on Keshpur zonal committee office on Tuesday night into a poll plank.

The CPI-M, on Friday, decided to go to town with the panel's "neutrality" now that it has evidence that Trinamool leaders had accompanied the "raiders".

CPI-M state secretary Biman Bose said after a party's state secretariat meeting that the neutral image of the Election Commission had taken a beating "because of the presence of Trinamool leaders and activists during the raid".

"We expect the commission to maintain its neutrality. But if observers raid our party office along with Trinamool leaders, it's neutral image is bound to suffer," Bose said.

Not only Trinamool, Bose also dragged the Jharkhand party. He said at Dumurgeria in Lalgargh — also in West Midnapore — the EC observer had searched a party leader's house for arms.

"But no weapons were found. This time, the observer was accompanied by Jharkhand Party cadre," he said.

The LF chairman also alleged that one of the poll observers in East Midnapore had tried to strike off the names of 1.12 voters from the rolls.

"When I was in East Midnapore I came to know that panel was planning to delete names of 1.12 lakh voters."

Bose threatened to move court if the complaints against the observers were not "probed".