PC on Bengal trail April 24-26

Apr 19, 2011 - Namrata Biji Ahuja |

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

Home minister P. Chidambaram is all set to campaign for the Congress-Trinamul alliance in West Bengal next week. Government sources said that Mr Chidambaram has shared a set of dates around April 24 and 26, with Congress general secretary in charge of West Bengal, Shakeel Ahmed, and may soon be travelling to the Marxist bastion to participate in the electoral campaign.

However, a decision remains to be taken on whether the home minister will campaign in the left wing extremism (LWE) affected districts.
The state Congress leadership has been keen for a joint campaign with Trinamul to cash in on Trinamul chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s popularity. The state Congress leaders had even sought the participation of ministers like Mr Chidambaram to campaign for the alliance. “As soon as the dates are finalised, the home minister will go to Bengal for campaigning,” a source said.
The move comes at a time when the home ministry has deployed more than 70,000 personnel of Central paramilitary forces in West Bengal during the election process beginning next month and spread over six phases.
While there has been mounting concern both in the Central and state governments on the possibility of increased violence in the state during the polls, latest reports with the home ministry have revealed that the level of violence has not increased and the law and order situation primarily remains under control.

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