I brought Trinamool on board,says Pranab

“Earlier,we did not have an alliance with the Trinamool as it was with the NDA. In July 2008,Mamata Banerjee severed her ties with the BJP and stood by the UPA government. We then decided that now we can form an alliance with them,” added the Congress leader.

Taking a dig at the Left Front,he said: “To form a government,274 seats are needed. But the Left Front has only 60 seats at present and in the coming polls will even lose half its seats in Kerala and Bengal.”

He claimed that despite the Centre allocating Rs 31,000 crore for the NREG scheme,the state government failed to execute the scheme in Midnapore.

Tribals observe Belpahari bandh
Kolkata: The Police Resistance Committee on Monday observed a 12-hour bandh at Belpahari in West Midanpore protesting against police atrocities. Chhatradhar Mahato,leader of the Committee,alleged that police had beaten up their local leader Jaganath Poddar during a raid at a village in Belpahari on Saturday night.

Mahato alleged the police have been harassing innocent villagers in the name of Maoists. Manoj Verma,police chief of West Midnapore,said following the movements of a most wanted Maoist leader,police had raided a school in forest area on Saturday night at Siarbindha. Police found nearly 20 people,who claimed to be the members of the committee,staying in the school. Verma said departmental proceedings have been initiated against Rajkuamr Nandi,assistant sub-inspector of Belpahari PS,for his role in the alleged atrocities.