Oppn lashes out at TMC, calls KMC polls a 'farce'

Lashing out at the ruling TMC for turning the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls into a 'farce', opposition Left Front, Congress and BJP today said the police and the State Election Commission have acted as 'pawns' into the hands of TMC in 'stifling the voice of democracy'.
"The TMC has unleashed an unprecedented reign of terror, which Kolkata has never seen. Today Kolkata was ruled by criminals. The police and SEC were used by TMC to turn the election into a farce," CPI-M state secretariat member Sujan Chakraborty said.
Left Front, he said, would take out a massive rally throughout the state in protest against the reign of terror and turning the polls into a farce.

"Today they (TMC) have stifled the democratic rights of the people of the city. The results would not reflect the true opinion of the masses," he said.
State BJP President Rahul Sinha demanded that the State Election Commissioner resign or cancel the election and order a fresh poll.
"We demand immediate resignation of the SEC and that fresh polls should be held under the supervision of central forces," he said.

Echoing Sinha, WBPCC President Adhir Chowdhury said that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee showed how the poll could be turned into a farce by using the administration.
He expressed surprise that if TMC was sure about winning the election then why it resorted to terror.

Around 60 per cent voters today cast their ballots in the election to the 144-ward Kolkata Municipal Corporation, billed as the 'semifinal' before next year's Assembly poll.
The result of the KMC poll will be declared on April 28, along with results of 91 other municipalities across the state, election to which will be held on April 25.