Nandigram, the scene of a bloody resistance to land acquisition a year ago, has witnessed a reversal of roles with the CPI(M) that had once called the shots, demanding a free and fair Assembly by-poll on January 5. The party has alleged that it was unable to campaign in Nandigram as the Trinamool Congress, which had spearheaded the resistance movement, was flaunting its might after coming to power in the panchayat and zilla parishad in East Midnapur district.

‘‘Our party activists are not being allowed to enter 53 booths under the Nandigram Assembly constituency,’’ claimed CPI(M) district secretariat member Ashok Guria. Now, in a refrain that was previously heard from Opposition parties, Left Front leaders have demanded that the Election Commission ensure a ‘‘free and fair’’ election and have requested that CRPF contingents be deployed.

Guria said the policy of ‘‘restraint’’ adopted by the police in order to circumvent allegations of brutality, prevented it from taking tough steps.

‘‘When the leaders in Nandigram are unable to come out of their homes to campaign, what is the use of such police restraint?’’ he asked. ‘‘When our party leaders face Maoist attacks in Purulia district and other places, cases are filed by the police, but they do nothing when Trinamool-backed trouble-makers roam around freely in Nandigram,’’ he alleged.

Refuting the CPI(M) charge, local Trinamool Congress MLA Sisir Adhikari said, ‘‘They have been rejected by the people... they are going to lose the seat by 30,000 to 35,000 votes.’’