Unprecedented electoral malpractices: LF

CPI(M)-led Left Front today alleged that "unprecedented malpractices" were witnessed during counting of panchayat poll ballots in many areas.
"Such electoral malpractices during counting of votes in several counting centres had been unheard of with Trinamool Congress supporters tearing off ballot papers, assaulting and driving out CPI-M and Left Front counting agents in connivance with administration and police," CPI-M state secretary Biman Bose said.
He claimed that the State Election Commission could not perform its duties in several districts as it had to depend on the administration and the police which did not cooperate.
Bose said the husband of a winning CPI-M candidate was shot dead at Harishchandrapur in Malda district and CPI-M workers were attacked and a party office was set on fire at Polba in Hooghly district.

He alleged that rigging and false voting had taken place mostly in Burdwan and North 24 Parganas districts.
To a question, Bose said Left Front would not join hands with any political party with which it did not share a common ideology and principles in forming bodies in gram panchayats, panchayat samities or zila parishads in hung houses.
He said the LF would analyse its loss of seats in panchayat bodies in districts.
A procession would be taken out in the metropolis on August 7 to save democracy, he added.