Allegations of electoral violence and corruption against Mamata Banerjee are new trouble for the opposition

The Supreme Court has given a big blow to the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata, who is actively involved in the exercise of opposition unity. The Supreme Court has categorically refused to interfere with the decision of the Calcutta High Court regarding the deployment of central security forces in connection with the violence taking place before the Panchayat elections. Mamta government’s petition on this issue was rejected. It will not be easy to digest this decision given against Mamta on election violence for the opposition parties who have been crying out for putting democracy in danger on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s central government. This defeat received by Mamta Banerjee is sure to give a big blow to the unity efforts of the opposition parties. The BJP will not remain without using this matter against the opposition parties. The BJP has already been attacking the opposition parties on issues of corruption. Now Mamata Banerjee has given the BJP an opportunity to accuse them of resorting to violence to win the elections. The harsh remarks made by the Supreme Court will also become a cause of trouble for the opposition parties.

The Supreme Court clearly said that the violence that is taking place during the elections is not right. Conducting fair elections is the hallmark of democracy. Significantly, both the Election Commission of West Bengal and the Mamata government had objected to the decision of the High Court. The Supreme Court has also asked both of them that when you are asking for forces from your neighboring states, then what is the problem with the central security forces. The orgy of electoral violence has continued in West Bengal since Mamata Banerjee came to power in 2011. Mamta Banerjee’s party, which had suffered violence during the then Left Front government, is also in the dock for election violence. Several people were killed in different parts of West Bengal after the results of the last assembly elections. Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were once infamous for such electoral violence. After TN Seshan became the Chief Election Commissioner, the election violence in these two states was controlled to a great extent. In other words, Seshan with his strong will made election violence almost a matter of history in the country. Despite this, the phase of electoral violence could not end in West Bengal.

Whether it is Panchayat elections or Lok Sabha or Assembly elections in West Bengal, violence has become inevitable here. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) in its 2018 report said that out of 54 political murders in the country, 12 were related to Bengal. In the same year, an advisory sent by the Union Home Ministry to the state government stated that there have been 96 murders in political violence in West Bengal and the continuing violence is a matter of grave concern. That report said that between 1999 and 2016, an average of 20 political murders took place in West Bengal every year. According to data from the Union Home Ministry, there were 23 political murders during the 2018 panchayat elections. After the formation of TMC by Mamata Banerjee in the year 1998, the battle for supremacy started a new phase of violence. During the Panchayat elections held in the same year, there was heavy violence in many areas.

The Mamata Banerjee government has been beset by not only election violence but also allegations of corruption and serious crimes in the state. West Bengal is the only state in the country where NIA is investigating the maximum number of cases. These include the bomb blast at MP Arjun Singh’s house, two cases of Mominpur violence, recovery of 81,000 gelatin sticks in Birbhum, 6 cases of Ram Navami violence, Lashkar terrorist Tanya Parveen’s case (pending trial), several JMB cases. , Khajur blast case, Bhupatinagar blast case, Naihati blast case, bomb blast near school in Beldanga, Murshidabad, Toto blast in Malda and Chhatradhar Mahto case trial is going on in the court. The ED’s action in connection with the West Bengal School Service Commission recruitment scam unearthed an alleged network of TMC workers. The Calcutta High Court had directed the West Bengal School Service Commission to cancel the recruitment of 785 people working on Group-C posts in schools.

Lottery scam has also come to the fore after teacher recruitment, coal and cattle smuggling scandal in Bengal. Its strings are being told to be related to other scams. Actually this is a new way of doing scam. It is noteworthy that in the last few years, many Trinamool leaders and their relatives have won lotteries with huge amounts. Arrested in cattle smuggling case, Trinamool’s Bahubali leader and his daughter Sukanya, lodged in Asansol jail, have won a total of five lotteries. Shortly before his arrest, Anubrata had won a lottery of one crore. Anubrata had won Rs 10 lakh in the lottery three years ago. The CBI claims that the black money of cattle smuggling is converted into white through lotteries. The question is, how will the opposition, which accuses the BJP of corruption and misuse of government machinery, be able to digest the old and new allegations of electoral violence and corruption against Mamata Banerjee. As long as the opposition does not keep its hem clear in such matters, it will not be able to win not only electoral unity but also the trust of the common people.

– Yogendra Yogi