TMC candidate holding meeting with police officers: CPI-M

Ahead of the last phase of Assembly election in West Bengal, the CPI-M today complained to the Election Commission alleging that Trinamool Congress candidate in Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari had held a meeting with some police officers in East Midnapore district on May 1, a charge rubbished by the TMC.
In a letter to the EC, CPI-M East Midnapore district committee secretary Niranjan Sihi alleged that Adhikari had held a meeting at 1.40 AM on May 1 at a college in Panskura with Officer-in Charge (OCs) of Moyna, Haldia, Marishda, Ramnagar and Panskura police stations to help the ruling party.
He further alleged that free and fair election would be a far cry if these police officers remained on their chairs and urged the commission to take necessary steps against them to facilitate a free and fair poll on May 5.

CPI-M state secretary Surya Kanta Mishra also made the same allegation, saying, "The TMC is trying to create a problem during the May 5 polls. The SP has also been informed verbally about this conspiracy to help the ruling party," he said.
Mishra also urged the Election Commission to take necessary steps.
The TMC alleged that the CPI-M was spreading such canards to scare the police.

Ridiculing the allegation, TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said that by resorting to such "false propaganda", the CPI-M was trying to scare the police.
He alleged that "realising that they were going to loose", the CPI-M was trying to save itself by catching hold of the Election Commission like a straw.

"The people are with Mamata Banerjee," he claimed.
Stating that such allegations should not have been made, TMC East Midnapore district president Sisir Adhikari claimed that Suvendu was not present at Panskura at that time mentioned by the CPI-M.
Adhikari said Suvendu is a 'z-category' leader and his movement is recorded by the police and added that they would take legal action.