CPI-M accuses Trinamool of rigging in West Bengal

July 31st, 2009 KOLKATA - The Congress Friday bowed to the Trinamool Congress' demand and agreed to concede both the seats in the coming West Bengal assembly by-polls to the Trinamool. The Congress, which earlier demanded one of the two seats in Kolkata - Bowbazar and Sealdah - which are slated to go to the polls Aug 18, agreed to withdraw its candidates from both the constituencies following instructions from the party high command.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders of misusing their central ministerial positions to "unleash politics of terror" in West Bengal. Reacting to the assault by TMC activists on CPI-M supporters in Nandigram and Khejuri in West Bengal, an editorial in party mouthpiece People's Democracy states: The supreme anti-democratic character of the TMC is fast unfolding, accompanied by murderous assaults on the CPI-M and the Left parties in West Bengal." "The TMC is seeking to misuse ministerial power to unleash its politics of terror and not to discharge responsibility in the service of the people of the country, it said in the June 10 issue.

May 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Trinamool Congress Thursday demanded the imposition of president's rule in West Bengal, alleging there was complete breakdown of the constitutional machinery and people had lost confidence in the Left Front government there. 'The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front government has to come to an end in West Bengal.

May 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - A day after her alliance's spectacular showing in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had an unexpected visitor Sunday - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's sister Preetam Kaur. Preetam Kaur and her husband called on Banerjee at her spartan Kalighat residence in south Kolkata and congratulated her on the victory of the Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance over the ruling Left Front in West Bengal.

May 17th, 2009 KOLKATA - Alleging that the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) had indulged in rigging in several West Bengal Lok Sabha constituencies, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Sunday threatened to move the Election Commission and take legal action against the state's ruling party. Claiming that the CPI-M had rigged the polls in Keshpur assembly segment of the Ghatal parliamentary constituency, Banerjee said: 'We won in five of the segments.

May 16th, 2009 KOLKATA - Rejoicing at her victory in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Saturday said despite so many brutal killings and the Left's efforts to stop people from voting, 'we have won'. 'This victory is that of the people despite the attempts of the CPI-M, the party that killed our political workers,' Banerjee told reporters here.

May 16th, 2009 KOLKATA - Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that the verdict in the 2009 general elections in West Bengal was a vote against the continuance of Left rule. Thanking the people of Bengal for their support and for coming out and voting "despite atrocities by the CPI(M)", she said the people had shown support for change in the state.

May 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Alleging that many polling booths were 'forcibly captured' by Trinamool Congress activists, the state's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Thursday demanded re-polling in 50 voting stations in West Bengal. The CPI-M said here that it has submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission.

April 20th, 2009 KOLKATA - In a move to could indicate future Trinamool Congress alliance with Congress, party chief Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress have shared a platform for the first time. Addressing an election rally Dinajpur region of West Bengal, both the leaders harshly criticized ruling left parties.

April 14th, 2009 KOLKATA - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) faces a tough fight in the Lok Sabha elections but would get a majority of seats in West Bengal, the party's general secretary Prakash Karat said here Tuesday. 'We will have a tough battle in the elections, but we have faced situations in the past when the opposition had virtually come together without an alliance,' Karat told reporters in response to the Congress and Trinamool Congress joining hands in the state.

March 18th, 2009 KOLKATA - Activists of Trinamool Congress and Congress party organised a yagna here for the success of the alliance of these two parties in the ensuing elections to the Lok Sabha. This was consequent to the finalisation of the tie-up and sharing of seats between the two parties in West Bengal.

March 16th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal Transport Minister and senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Subhas Chakraborty has said that 700-odd Trinamool Congress workers have joined the CPI-M in Howrah district's Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency. 'Around 700 Trinamool Congress activists have joined our party (CPI-M) before the Lok Sabha polls, as they were dissatisfied with the Trinamool's ideology,' Chakraborty claimed Saturday while addressing a political gathering.

March 13th, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal's ruling Left Front Thursday termed the Congress-Trinamool Congress alliance for the Lok Sabha elections as an unholy nexus and asked them to clarify the basis of their understanding. 'People of West Bengal don't know on what basis the Congress and Trinamool joined hands in the Lok Sabha elections,' Left Front chair Biman Bose said.

March 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress Party will contest 14 out of 42 seats of West Bengal, where as its ally the Trinamool Congress (TC) will contest from 28 seats. Announcing the seat sharing agreement, AICC in-charge of West Bengal K Keshav Rao that they have entered into a seat sharing pact with the TC with the objective of ending the over 30 years of misrule of the CPI-M, which has shattered the economy of West Bengal.

March 3rd, 2009 KOLKATA - West Bengal's main opposition party Trinamool Congress Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the state's voting schedule announced by the Election Commission. The poll panel Monday declared that the Lok Sabha election in northern Bengal will be held April 30.