Haldia (WB): Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee on August 9 announced that her party was prepared for the Lok Sabha polls and urged the Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPM)-led Left Front regime in West Bengal to ensure a free and fair election.

"We are prepared for general elections whenever it is held. But we want a conducive atmosphere to hold a free and fair elections as we feel that with CPM remaining in power in West Bengal, a free poll is a far cry," Banerjee told a party rally at this river port town in Midnapore district to mark the observance of the Quit India Movement.

She urged partymen to take a pledge to build up a massive mass movement to ensure that the CPM was forced to quit power as the freedom fighters gave a call to the British to quit India on this day in 1942.

"Party cadres must organise and build up resistance against the CPM atrocities in villages," Banerjee said.

She accused the Buddhadev Bhattacherjee Ministry of acting against the interests of the poor people by hiking taxes in various spheres through recent legislations in the name of mobilisation of resources for the cash-strapped state government.

The TC chief said that the state government has burdened the people in villages by increasing land revenue and urged them not to pay the hiked amount.

PTI