It’s city of tension before polls

KOLKATA: Less than 48 hours before the last phase of parliamentary elections in West Bengal both the ruling CPM and opposition Trinamool Congress on Monday apprehend violence and terror during the polls on Wednesday.

Interestingly, both the rival political parties ���CPM and Trinamool Congress ���have blamed each other for mobilising outsiders to create disturbances during Wednesday���s polls.

Though 11 Lok Sabha will go for polls on May 13, Kolkata South is the focal point of Wednesday���s elections as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is fighting Rabin Deb of CPM. The state administration is taking no chances for the poll day. ���Altogether 50 company of para-military forces will be there only in Kolkata apart from 20,000 city police personnel,��� a senior state government official informed on Monday.

Wednesday���s poll will decide the fate of Mamata Banerjee, CPM candidate Md Salim (Kolkata North) and Somen Mitra (Trinamool Congress candidate from Diamond Harbour). Other important candidates who will face the election on Wednesday include Dr Kakali Ghosh Dastidar, Trinamool Congress candidate from the Barasat Lok Sabha seat and Sougata Roy and Amitava Nandi, Trinamool Congress and CPM candidates, respectively, contesting the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat.

Meanwhile, both Mamata Banerjee and CPM polit bureau member Biman Bose on Monday blamed each other for mobilising outsiders to create trouble during Wednesday���s polls. ���Marriage houses in many city areas have been booked by CPM to accommodate outsiders who will carry out operations in several areas in Kolkata South and Kolkata North seats during the polls,��� Ms Mamata told reporters on Monday.

She also said that these outsiders who would be equipped with arms and ammunition, will terrorise the voters. ���The CPM has also plans to keep multi-storeyed housing complexes under lock and key during polling hours to prevent the voters from carrying out their franchise,��� the Trinamool Congress chief mentioned.

Mamata also did not spare the chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for instigating violence. ���Don���t threat the opposition party by sitting on the chief minister���s chair. Don���t make any attempt to instigate violence and terror. Don���t instruct the police of North and South 24-Parganas to attack our supporters during Wednesday���s polling. Don���t encourage politics of murder and terror. You are provoking the people instead of protecting them,��� an angry Mamata told reporters at her south Kolkata residence just a few hours before the last round of elections in West Bengal.