Row as CPM MP ‘gives’ money

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West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee (right) and Left Front chairman Biman Bose

Accusing CPI(M) MP from Bolpur Ramchandra Dom of giving cash to villagers to vote for party candidate in Sainthia Assembly seat, Dhiren Bagdi, the Trinamul Congress on Friday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. It has demanded a thorough investigation and even arrest of Mr Dom. The Trinamul Congress chief Mamata

Banerjee who had been on backfoot over the CPI(M)’s persistent charge of use of black money, hit back and said that feeling the heat the CPI(M) was trying to buy votes. “I marvel at the courage of the villagers who caught the CPI(M) leader red-handed. From Bolpur to Nanoor the CPI(M) is trying to buy vote because it is scared of facing defeat,” she said while addressing a rally at Canning.
According to Trinamul Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee, Mr Dom had offered `500 to each voter in village Charicha in Birbhum district. Angered by this blatant attempt to purchase vote Trinamul Congress supporters kept Mr Dom confined in a house for several hours before the police rescued him. They alleged that he had brought `10 lakhs for distribution. The Trinamul Congress also alleged that many villagers received cash from Mr Dom and his associates. When the villagers protested, one of his party cadres, Samiran Lohar, allegedly left the spot with the bag of cash. Mr Dom, however, denied the charge of distributing money. A Trinamul Congress delegation comprising Mukul Roy, Sudip Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee lodged an official complaint with the deputy election commissioner Vinod Zutshi, who left the city after concluding his three-day visit to the state. “I have heard that some money was being distributed in Birbhum. The state chief electoral officer has spoken to the Birbhum collector Birbhum who sent a team of officials to the village. There is some indication some money was distributed as some villagers informed in private,” Mr Zutshi said.
On being asked whether the Commission will probe the case, he replied, “We will investigate as to who was distributing the money and to whom.
Appropriate action will be taken if we get proper evidence and the offender will be booked under relevant section of the IPC for bribing voters.” A senior EC official from New Delhi said, “We are seriously looking into the complaint. If we get the evidences, the EC will lodge an FIR under section 171(H) of the IPC.”