Already,4200 panchayats in Trinamool kitty

Terming it the highest uncontested wins in any grassroots poll in the state,the State Election Commission (SEC) today termed it as a “matter of concern”.

“The number of uncontested wins is the highest-ever in any panchayat election. Uncontested wins in over 7,000 seats in the 2003 panchayat election was the highest so far,” said SEC secretary Tapas Roy.

In almost 4,200 of the 4,519 uncontested seats this time,Left Front constituents as well as the Congress have failed to put up their candidates; Trinamool Congress nominees have not filed their papers in the rest.

Interestingly,most of the uncontested seats fall in districts that were once CPM strongholds.

The Left parties have alleged that the ruling party has prevented its candidates from filing nominations.

The TMC has countered the charge,saying the CPM has suffered such a large-scale erosion in its support base in rural belts that it could not find candidates to fight on its party tickets. In some seats,they pulled out knowing well that they would lose the seats,the party has added.

Tapas Roy said the the commission was looking into the number of uncontested wins in Hooghly,Burdwan,Bankura and West Midnapore districts.

South 24-Paraganas,believed to have the strongest organisation of the CPM under Abdul Rezzak Mollah,the former land and land reformer minister,has 296 seats with no Left nominee in the fray.

Mollah said the Left Party has lost its organisational capacity over the years. “We tried to contest all the seats but the candidates were forced to withdraw nominations. They could not resist the attack of the Mamata Banerjee-controlled police force and the armed force of the TMC.”

“Moreover,the Left Front has lost the ideology needed to fight the fascist government. We need a broad platform where other Left parties could join and fight the Trinamool Congress. If the TMC remains in power for three term,we will not be able to contest for the next three terms as well. In our three decade-long tenure,there were never so much of violence as we are seeing now,” added Mollah.

Burdwan district is another red bastion where 811 seats are uncontested.

CPM district secretary Amol Haldar said,“Our candidates were kidnapped and their family members were kidnapped as well. Both police and administration are controlled by the ruling party.”

West Midnapore and Hooghly districts in south Bengal,where CPM is believed to have run camps of armed cadres for area domination,have suffered maximum losses. At least 1,221 seats will remain uncontested in Hooghly while 945 seats has no Left nominee in West Midnapore.