WB: Raninagar in Murshidabad District Determined to Defeat TMC Hooliganism
A left meeting in progress in Raninagar 2 block being adressed by mustaq alam , thelocal panchayet samity candidate.
Murshidabad: Some 235 kilometres away from the capital city of Kolkata, Raninagar 2 block of Murshidabad district is spending sleepless nights before the panchayat elections in the state.
Traditionally a leftist stronghold, Raninagar was forcibly acquired by the TMC (Trinamool Congress) brigands led by Shah Alam Sardar, the block president of TMC.
As a result, in 2018, there was no vote for panchayats. TMC candidates won unopposed.
This time around, leftists, geared to withstand TMC antics, have candidates in nearly 98% of seats of Gandhinagar 2 block.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the area committee secretary of CPI(M), was brutally attacked by TMC brigands led by Sardar months before the panchayat elections. He still carries scars on his knees.
Bhutto alleged that TMC activists attacked left workers in front of the police when the latter visited the police station to lodge complaints.
Left activists were allegedly attacked brutally on April 25. As per the allegations, TMC hooligans attacked CPI(M) activists Nabakumar Mandal, Nurul Huda, Samaresh Mandal, Nexar Ali Mandal, Morzem Sheikh and Rafiqul Islam.
"They are beating up left activists to subdue their corruption in 100-day-work programme and corrupt practices when charging a hefty sum from the commoners to get Laxmi Bhandar projects in Gandhinagar. In the Laxmi Bhandar project, a sum of Rs 500 monthly is credited to the accounts of women in the state. In Raninagar, applicants have to pay bribes to get their money," Bhutto alleged.
Lutfur Rahman, former Sabhadipati of the local Raninagar 2 Panchayat Samiti, alleged that not a single person had got their dues under the 100-day-work programme.
"Many people of Kalinagar village do not have job cards as they have been supporters of CPI(M)."
Newsclick spoke with Abdul Rashid, 65, a farmer who has reaped jute in his 15 bighas of land. He rued that during the Left Front's time, the state government used to force the Jute Corporation of India to buy jute directly from the farmers at just prices.
"But now, that practice has stopped, and the farmers are left at the mercy of the middlemen. He said there are 193 families in the village of Kalinagar, and they all have decided to vote for the CPI(M) candidate in this election."
In the last election, such unity was absent, and many had voted for TMC, lured by the largesse promised by the TMC chieftain Mamata Banerjee.
But now experience has shown them that the promises were lofty, and not one of the promises made by the Chief Minister has materialised.
As a result, many of Rashid's family members had to leave and move to other states for work.
Interestingly in the Zilla parishad seat of the Raninagar 2 Block, there is Left-Congress unity.
Congress candidate Mamtaz Begum Hira was allegedly attacked by TMC hooligans a few months back, leading to a bone fracture.
Injured Congress Zilla parishad candidate mamtaz begum hira, whose right hand has been fractured by tmc hooligans led by Shah Alam.
With her plastered hand, she is campaigning in the villages.
"Our joint fight is to end the rule of hooliganism of TMC and Sardar. We will do everything possible to defeat his forces."
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