CPM's image at stake

Statesman News Service

MALDA, May 21: Mr Sailen Sarkar, minister for Assembly affairs, said that a section of people who did not cast votes in favour of Mr Samar Roy had aired that a group of CPI-M workers conspired to defeat Mr Roy in English Bazaar. “It is simply a rumour. But we are facing difficulties to combat the menace because many of our workers have started to believe the rumour,” he said. He was addressing a felicitation programme of seven elected MLAs including himself at Netaji More yesterday morning. Mr Sarkar said that they would face difficulties if such anti-campaigns continued to be held. Mr Sarkar was blamed for the defeat of Mr Samar Roy, CPIM’s contesting candidate, who was defeated by a narrow margin of 906 votes by the Congress candidate in English Bazaar, for ministerial race. “It is a matter of regret that Mr Roy was defeated but he got 7 per cent more votes in comparison to last Assembly election. “Nobody conspired to defeat him,” he said. Party workers welcomed the ministers and six others MLAs at Malda town station and took out a rally from the station to Netaji More, where a felicitation programme was organised. Mr Sarkar also explained that why he is now the minister for Assembly affairs but did not disclose why the chief minister held his department FPI&H in his hand. He said development works would be undertaken in the district through proper planning by the LF government. Only time will tell whether the CPI-M will mange to regain its imahe here. #