TMC delegation meets president over poll violence in Bengal

The ruling TMC in West Bengal today hit out at the opposition for spreading violence against its party workers and supporters, as it appealed President Ram Nath Kovind to outright reject the "malacious campaign" against the Mamata Banerjee government.

A delegation of members of Parliament from TMC along with the alleged victims of the state panchayat poll violence, today met the president over the allegations made by the BJP regarding violence during the filing of nomination papers for the panchayat polls in the state.

"We told the president that the complaints of the opposition parties of not been able to file nominations (for the panchayat polls) are not true. We told him that despite ideological differences, the opposition parties have ganged up against the state government and trying to destabilise the Mamata Banerjee government.

"The president should know that the opposition parties are trying to spread false stories against the West Bengal government. We appealed to him to outright reject their malicious campaign and unfound allegations," TMC senior leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay told reporters.

Rejecting reports of the TMC indulging in violence during the panchayat polls, he said, "If free and fair elections are held in the state, the TMC has chances to win more seats. So we have no such intentions".