TC using blackmoney in West Bengal, CPI-M complains to EC

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The CPI(M) on Tuesday charged its prime opponent Trinamool Congress with 'large-scale' use of blackmoney in the West Bengal Assembly polls and urged the Election Commission to find out its source and take stern steps to check the menace.

The major Left party also demanded immediate action against TC chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for shielding' and 'aiding and abetting a declared offender', Union Minister Mukul Roy's son Subhranshu Roy.

Subhranshu, a candidate from the Bijpur Assembly seat, was arrested on Sunday on charges of assaulting an EC officer.

"The EC, while asking us to give more evidence on the issue, has assured us that it will take all necessary steps to check the use of blackmoney in these elections," senior party leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters after meeting Election Commissioners V. S. Sampath and H. S. Brahma.

Seeking steps like those taken in Tamil Nadu, Yechury claimed the TC leadership had distributed Rs 15 lakh to its 225 candidates in cash at its Kolkata headquarters, which totalled about Rs 34 crore.

In order to 'conceal' the source of this cash, the TC had printed coupons to show that people had donated the amount. But some persons were arrested when they were burning bundles of these coupons at the dead of night, he said.

"We have submitted to the EC copies of partially burnt counterfoils which were supposed to be given to the donors," the CPI(M) Politburo member said.

"We want the EC to inquire into the source of this cash. This blackmoney came from some source and the TC was trying to legalise it."

"This only shows that the TC has been using blackmoney on a very large-scale. Never before in history, has money played a part in Bengal elections," he said.

Yechury submitted two letters written to the EC by Left Front chairman Biman Bose - one on the blackmoney issue and the other to demand action against Mamata Banerjee in whose rallies Subhranshu was present.

In his letter, Bose sought action against the TC chief, saying Subhranshu 'tried to escape' the law from April 12, a day after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him.

The 'absconder was not guided by the Hon'ble Minister to surrender and submit before the law' even when he was present on dais at public meetings addressed by Banerjee on April 17.

"This makes Banerjee also culpable of aiding and abetting a declared offender," the letter said.

"We are absolutely sure that this illegal act of harboring Subhranshu" continued between April 12 and 17, it said, adding "it is also obvious that he was being shielded by TC leadership, including Mamata Banerjee".