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The Trinamool Congress sponsored 24-hour West Bengal bandh began on Monday morning in protest against the bifurcation of the Eastern Railway.
The ruling Left Front has opposed the bandh, while the Congress said they would neither oppose nor support it.
The Samajwadi Party, however, has extended support to the bandh. The railway sources said train services in Howrah-Bandel, Howrah-Sealdah were disrupted following picketing by bandh supporters at different stations.
Bandh supporters also squatted on the railway tracks at some stations of South Eastern Railway. Government buses and trams were plying in the city besides some private buses and mini buses.
The state public transport corporation has brought in an additional 1000 buses on the roads. But private schools have declared a holiday, while all university exams have been postponed.
"The bandh call is just to satisfy the Trinamool leader's personal vendetta. It would do no good to Bengal", said Anil Biswas, the Communist Party India-Marxist state secretary.
The Left is against the railway bifurcation issue and is to hold a rally against the decision on August 11.
The SUCI, a smaller party is also opposing the bandh and would be holding a rally to commemorate the death anniversary of one of its veteran leader later in the day. But Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee has urged the public to make the bandh a complete success for the benefit of Bengal.
The bandh is a part of the twelve-day stir of the Trinamool Congress against the bifurcation.
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