Kolkata, 18 March (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday alleged that the Trinamool Congress has fielded several “controversial” candidates in its recently announced list for the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Addressing a press conference at the party office in Salt Lake, BJP state chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said the candidate list reflects the prevailing political situation in the state.
He claimed that several individuals facing allegations and controversies have been renominated despite charges of administrative corruption and political influence during the TMC’s tenure.
Sarkar further alleged that the ruling party has blurred the line between the government and the organisation, affecting administrative neutrality and weakening the democratic framework in the state.
Targeting the state government over the dearness allowance (DA) issue, he said that despite directions from the Supreme Court, the dues are not being fully cleared and are instead being planned to be paid in instalments.
He alleged that arrears pending since 2008 have been restricted to a limited period and are being disbursed in phases. In some cases, he said, the dues are being routed to the General Provident Fund (GPF), leading to delays in actual payments. He also claimed that pensioners are being offered limited benefits.
Sarkar further said that employees of several government institutions, panchayats and municipalities are yet to receive any clear benefits related to DA, with the matter remaining “under consideration”.
Referring to steps taken by the Election Commission of India under Article 324 of the Constitution, he said such administrative changes are necessary to ensure free and fair elections, alleging that the distinction between the administration and the ruling party had eroded over time.
He added that restoring law and order and a democratic environment requires a violence-free electoral process, which is the responsibility of the poll panel.
Sarkar claimed that the demand for change is growing in the state and people will express their mandate democratically in the upcoming elections.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
