Jyoti Basu lauds people for peaceful election in Bengal

Kolkata, Apr 17 (UNI) Veteran CPI(M) leader and former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu congratulated the people for the peaceful conduct of first phase of polling in West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts of West Bengal today.

''The state has a 29 year long tradition of holding peaceful, free and fair elections, and even the Election Commission had praised the state for this,'' Mr Basu in a statement said here this evening adding that this time too there was no exception to that.

''I hope that in the remaining four phases of elections the same tradition (of holding a free, fair and peaceful elections) would continue,'' Mr Basu emphasised.

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