Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who joined office at Nabanna today after recovering from her injury, expressed regret at the loss of lives in the just concluded rural polls. The ruling party won with a huge margin in the panchayat election.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, she said the parties maligned the state’s image after violence, which she said was only confined to two districts. Buoyed by the resounding victory yet again, Miss Banerjee talked of the unholy alliance between the CPM and the Congress, which she said had merged into one – Ram, Bam and Shyam.

She not only downplayed the recurring incidents of violence as she claimed that such cases were only confined to two districts, Malda and Murshidabad and put the death toll to just 19. She added that most of the people who lost their lives were from her party. She said the Opposition was only interested in spreading misinformation and lies to malign the state and also held them responsible for vitiating atmosphere of the remaining 21 districts, which she claimed were “incident-free”.

Bhangar, in South 24-Parganas was the only place that witnessed some sort of violence, according to her. She announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the 19 deceased and also announced a job of home guard for one of the family members of the deceased. “Political affiliations will not be a criteria for offering compensation or job,” the chief minister told media persons. However, there is still confusion over the exact number of victims killed in poll-related violence.

According to Banerjee, 19 persons were killed on the polling day on Saturday (8 July) whose families will be compensated. However, as per records, the death toll since the polling date was announced on June 8 is 44. Nineteen deaths were reported till 7 July, while another 24 died since then. Miss Banerjee was severe on the BJP for their on the move of the party to send a fact-finding team in the state.

Taking umbrage at the move she said that where were such teams Manipur or for that matter in Assam or Tripura, when her party members were subjected to relentless attacks from the ruling party there. On the issue of Upcoming 21 July Martyr day, she said that her party would not celebrate the victory on that day but would observe “a day of tribute” (Sraddha Divas) on that day