Press Release
The results of the by-elections from the Panskura Lok Sabha constituency are unexpected. A couple of weeks ago, the people of West Bengal had given their verdict in the elections to the 79 municipalities, clearly reposing their confidence once again in the Left Front. The result of the Panskura by-election, therefore, does not reflect the popular mood of the people, but appears to have been manipulated.
During the course of the election campaign, which actually began immediately after the death of Comrade Geeta Mukherjee, saw the Trinamul Congress unleashing unprecedented terror in the constituency. Even before the notification for the polls were issued, 42 members of the CPI(M) were done to death by murderous gangs of the Trinamul. Five more party cadres were killed in the run-up to the elections. As a result of this unprecedented terror, in many areas, particularly in the Keshpur and Pingla assembly segments, polling agents of the Left Front were prevented from entering the booths and ordinary citizens were prevented from casting their votes. The CPI(M) and the Left Front restrained from retaliation in the larger interests of the overall law and order situation.
The following details expose the manner in which this manipulated result was obtained.
The Left Front had demanded repoll in 30 booths only. But it is now revealed that the manipulation was much more extensive. The suspicion regarding these 30 booths is confirmed by the fact that the LF got only 840 votes here while TMC got a whooping 18,719 votes. In another 24 booths, LF got negligible 179 votes , while TMC got 18,102 votes. Therefore in a total of 54 booths, the Left Front got 1,019 votes and TMC got 36,821 votes. All these 54 booths fall in the Keshpur Assembly segment, which has a sitting MLA belonging to the Left Front. Out of these 54 booths, in 30 booths the LF got less than 10 votes, whereas the Trinamul got more than 500 votes.
A classic example of the fraud committed is available from the statistics of booth no. 40. This booth registered cent percent polling. Out of a total of 822 votes, the TMC got 812 votes and LF got only 7 votes, while 3 votes went to others.
Similarly in booth No. 158, which is also said to have had 100 per cent polling, out of the total 818 votes the TMC got 812, the LF 4 votes and others 2.
Likewise in booth No. 110 ( where CPI candidate was manhandled) out of the 616 votes polled, the TMC registered 614 and the LF 2 votes.
The lead of 17,000 that the Trinamul got from the Keshpur segment, therefore does not come as a surprise.
Similarly in the Pingla assembly segment (which also has a sitting Left Front MLA) eight booths recorded 100% polling. Of the total of 4840 votes from these eight booths the Trinamul got 4443 votes while the Left Front got only 331.
For example, in booth No.123 out of the polled Votes of 1027 the LF got only 3, the TMC 1017 while 7 went to others. Likewise in booth No.109, where 650 votes were polled the LF got only 17 whereas the TMC got 629. In another nine booths in this segment, the Left front is said to have got only 137 votes while the Trinamul got 6,433.
It is in the same fashion that the Trinamul got a lead of over 30,000 votes in the Pingla assembly segment, where the Left Front had a lead of 1,000 votes in the last elections.
It may be recalled that even during 1999 election the TMC had perpetrated terror in the Keshpur and Pingla segments and Mrs. Geeta Mukherjee was heckled a number of times. After her death the terror was intensified as shown by the killings of 47 CPI (M) cadres. It is the terror and intimidation campaign carried out by the Trinamul’s murderous gangs that have led to such an outcome.
But those who are harbouring illusions that this election result signals the beginning of a change in West Bengal against the Left Front will be disappointed once again, as they were during the municipal elections.
Where the Manipulation Took place
| Booth/s |
Left Front |
Trinamul |
Remarks |
|
30 booths in Keshpur |
840 votes |
18,719 votes |
Here we demanded repoll |
|
24 more booths in Keshpur |
179 votes |
18,102 votes |
|
|
Out of 54 booths in Keshpur, in 30 booths |
Less than 10 votes |
More than 500 votes |
|
|
Booth No. 40 |
7 votes |
812 votes |
Total 822 votes (100% polled) |
|
Booth No. 158 |
4 votes |
812 votes |
Total 818 votes (100% polled) |
|
Booth No. 110 |
2 votes |
614 votes |
Total 616 polled |
|
8 booths in Pingla |
331 votes |
4840 votes |
100% polling in these 8 booths |
|
Booth No. 123 |
3 votes |
1017 |
Total polled 1027 |
|
Booth No. 109 |
17 votes |
629 |
Total polled 650 |
|
9 other booths |
137 votes |
6433 |
|
In Keshpur the TMC got a Lead of 17,000
In Pingla the TMC got a Lead of 30,000
47 CPI(M) cadres were killed during this whole campaign, after the death of Com. Geeta Mukherjee.
42 were killed before the announcement of elections and five after the announcement.