CPM member declines post in favour of RSP

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 14 JUNE: A tribal woman Mrs Abina Murmu was elected as a CPI-M member of the panchayat samiti in Bamongola block in the last rural polls but she has not taken oath as an elected member, as she had wanted to file for nomination as an RSP candidate.

Mrs Murmu alleged that she was duped by the local CPI-M leaders, who had not disclosed their political identity, and tricked her into filing a nomination for their party, instead of for the RSP. Now the district administration is conducting by-polls to fill this vacant seat (No 6) on 28 June. The seat has been lying vacant since May 2008.

Mrs Abina Murmu had long been an active supporter of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and had expressed her desire to contest in the rural polls on behalf of the RSP. When she had filed nomination papers with the help of local leaders, she was in complete darkness as to which party was giving nomination to her. When she returned home, she discovered that CPI-M leaders had tactfully filed her nomination on behalf of their party.

The angry tribal woman lodged a complaint seeking withdrawal of her name from the election. CPI-M leaders tried to placate her, but did nothing to withdraw her name. Finally, Mrs Murmu contested as a CPI-M candidate. Even more amazingly, Mrs Murmu campaigned door to door, disclosed her experience and urged voters not to cast votes for her, as the CPI-M candidate. But she was finally elected as CPI-M candidate.

It may be noted that last year the Left Front could not come to an understanding over seatsharing in a few places of Bamongola block areas and the RSP had filed another candidate against the CPI-M there, when it skillfully ‘hijacked’ Mrs Murmu.

Shocked elected member Mrs Murmu has now decided not to take part in the swearing-in ceremony and to stay off the board as a CPI-M member, to teach a lesson to the Red party.

This time she is not contesting, after seat adjustments between the CPI-M and RSP. In the by-polls of Bamongola panchayat samiti seat no 6 the RSP candidate is mainly contesting against the Trinamul Congress candidate.