2024 Lok Sabha poll is more important than local body elections, Saugata Roy said (File)
Senior Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy today stirred up a controversy by saying that his party will not accept the use of violence and muscle by its candidates during the upcoming civic polls in Bengal.
"It is a conscious decision by the party that we will not support the use of violence or muscle power during the upcoming civic poll or any other local body elections. If someone from the party violates this decision, he/she will be doing so at his or her own responsibility and TMC might also withdraw his/her candidature," Mr Roy said.
The party, he said, had to pay a "heavy price" in the 2019 Lok Sabha election for violence during the 2018 panchayat poll in the state as it had sent out a wrong message about the party.
"We had to pay a heavy price (in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls) for it. For us the 2024 Lok Sabha poll is more important than these local body elections," Mr Roy said.
Opposition BJP and Congress were quick to comment on Mr Roy's statement. While the BJP shot back saying that the remark proved how elections have been conducted in the state during the TMC regime, the Congress has expressed doubt whether the words will percolate to the ground level.
Reacting to Saugata Roy's comments, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said this only proves how elections were conducted during the TMC regime.
"This proves that allegations of looting of votes, violence are completely true," he said.
West Bengal Congress President Adhir Chowdhury welcomed Saugata Roy's statement but wondered whether it will percolate to the ground level of the TMC.
"Saugata Roy is a gentleman. But I doubt whether what he said is the official stand of his party as its top leaders might have something different in their minds," he added.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation election is scheduled to be held on December 19 this year.