Left Will Perform Well in Bengal, Says Brinda Karat; Accuses TMC of Violence, Vote-Buying

Kolkata: CPI(M) Politburo member Brinda Karat has expressed confidence that the Left Front will put up a strong performance in the West Bengal assembly election, saying the people of Bengal will deliver their verdict against the divisive politics of both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP.

Speaking as voting progressed across 152 constituencies in 16 districts, Brinda Karat launched a sharp attack on both parties. She warned that mixing religion with politics to divide people would have far-reaching consequences for Bengal, and asserted that only the Left is capable of resisting this dangerous political trend.

She also alleged that the TMC was openly distributing money to buy votes, and that TMC goons were creating a climate of terror to prevent CPI(M) workers and supporters from casting their ballots. She said the fact that voters were still making their way to polling booths despite this intimidation was itself a source of great hope for the Left.

Of the 44,378 polling booths across the constituencies voting today, the Election Commission has identified 7,384 as sensitive. Key areas going to polls include Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Cooch Behar. Around 150 persons from North 24 Parganas and Malda districts have been taken into preventive custody as a precautionary measure against violence. Voting, which began at 9 am, is scheduled to continue until 6 pm.