Ahead of Assembly polls, TMC dubs CPI-M processions as effort to bring back 'terror days'

Kolkata: With the Assembly elections in West Bengal scheduled next year, the beleaguered CPI-M is organising processions in rural areas in an attempt to revitalise the organisation, but the ruling Trinamool Congress described the efforts as a bid to bring back the “days of terror” in the state. The recent alleged attacks on CPI-M processions in some parts of the state, including the one at Nayarangarh in West Midnapore district in which party state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra was present, had led the Marxist leadership to claim that the TMC was staging the assaults because it was afraid of the party getting back its strength. “The attack itself is a manifestation of TMC’s frustration and fear. They are afraid that the masses have become disillusioned with them and with their misrule. That is why they are trying to stop us,” Mishra, who is also the Opposition Leader, said. [caption id=“attachment_2522150” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] The TMC leadership, on the other hand, accused the Marxists of trying to unleash terror and capture villages ahead of the Assembly polls in the state in the name of organising ‘jathas’ (processions). “They are trying to create a reign of terror ahead of Assembly polls and trying to capture villages. But people will give them a befitting reply,” TMC Secretary-General and state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee. The CPI-M had organised such programmes at different places in the state in the last few days including Narayangarh, Pingla in West Midnapore and Mayureswar in Birbhum districts where the BJP had made some inroads. The CPI-M had slipped into a state of disarray after repeated electoral setbacks since the 2011 Assembly election in the state, including the last election to city corporation and panchayats. PTI