Trinamool Denies "Kidnapping" Charge By Opposition Panchayat Candidates

Four candidates who won the panchayat elections in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district alleged that they were kidnapped by Trinamool supporters, a charge denied by the state's ruling party.

Trinamool MLA of Canning Purba Saokat Molla claimed the three BJP candidates and a CPI(M)-backed Independent nominee wanted to join the Trinamool on their own, influenced by the development initiatives undertaken by the Mamata Banerjee government.

BJP nominees Puja Chhatui, Kamala Mandal and Sushanta Mandal, and Independent candidate Narayan Haldar of Krishnachandrapur panchayat in Mathurapur went missing on Thursday, their families alleged.

In a video, which went viral on social media on Saturday, they claimed that they were safe and staying at a location in Sundarban, and would return home when the panchayat's board is formed in mid-August. However, they returned home on Sunday.

After returning home, they told reporters that they were kidnapped and taken to a house in Sundarban.

"We were forced to sign a blank page, and also make that scripted video," Mr Haldar said, adding that the kidnappers let them leave on Saturday night.

Senior CPIM leader Kanti Ganguly alleged the Trinamool kidnapped the four candidates to form the board of the panchayat as it could not manage a majority in the elections, but it gave up sensing trouble.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said the turn events exposed Trinamool's "little faith" in democracy.

"TMC tried to capture the panchayat. But, alarmed by sustained media coverage about the incident, the TMC's leadership asked the district functionaries to release them," he claimed.

Trinamool MLA Mr Molla, however, claimed these four candidates wanted to join the ruling party but understanding that they would not be inducted, they cooked up the story.

Trinamool state spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, "Why should the TMC be involved in such a practice? It is the hallmark of BJP in government formation in some states."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)