Bengal panchayat elections: Polling underway amid violence, 11 dead
What's the story
The highly-anticipated panchayat elections in West Bengal were held in a single phase on Saturday. Around 5.67 crore voters were expected to cast their votes to choose representatives for 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samities, and 63,229 gram panchayat seats. However, there have been numerous reports of violence across Bengal, and at least 11 workers across parties have lost their lives.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The panchayat elections are a litmus test for next year's Lok Sabha elections and a way to control schemes, funds, and the mobilization of people at the grassroots level, where nearly 80% of the state's voters live. Notably, this is the first panchayat election that saw Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee campaign in north and south Bengal and hold rallies until she allegedly got injured.
Details
Violence ridden panchayat elections in Bengal
Large-scale violence, including the deaths of numerous party workers, was reported in several parts of the state since the pre-poll campaigning began for the panchayat elections in Bengal. The violence continued on Saturday as well, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) claiming that three of its party workers were murdered within the first hour of the polling.
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3 party workers have been murdered: TMC
Hitting out at opposition parties like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, and others, the TMC tweeted, "Shocking and tragic incidents send shockwaves through the voting community. Three of our party workers have been murdered in Rejinagar, Tufanganj, and Khargram, and two have been left wounded from gunshots in Domkol." "So, where are the central forces when they are needed the most?" it asked.
Twitter Post
Twitter post by TMC
Shocking and tragic incidents send shockwaves through the voting community.
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 8, 2023
Three of our party workers have been murdered in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram and two have been left wounded from gunshots in Domkol.
The @BJP4Bengal, @CPIM_WESTBENGAL and @INCWestBengal have been…
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11 deaths reported across Bengal in poll-related violence
According to the news agency PTI, officials on Saturday confirmed that at least 11 people have died in poll-related violence since midnight in Bengal. Among those who died were six TMC members and one worker from the Congress, BJP, CPI(M), and Indian Secular Front (ISF). Another individual, whose political identity wasn't yet determined, also died in an election-related clash.
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More instances of violence in Bengal
Meanwhile, ballot boxes were also destroyed in several parts of Bengal, PTI reported. Earlier, a polling booth was ransacked and set on fire in Cooch Behar's Dihata. On Friday, a BJP candidate's residence was reportedly attacked by TMC workers in Kalmati of Dinhata's Bamanhat II Gram Panchayat. Those injured in the incident were being treated at a private hospital in Cooch Behar, per ANI.
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Visuals of violence from WB's Pirgachha
#WATCH | West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Abdullah, the booth agent of an independent candidate killed in Pirgachha of North 24 Parganas district. Villagers stage a protest and demand the arrest of the accused and allege that the husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi is behind the… pic.twitter.com/XHu1Rcpv6j
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
latest reports
BJP takes aim at TMC, SEC over panchayat election violence
Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar alleged on Twitter that West Bengal's State Election Commission (SEC) hesitated to deploy the central forces sent to the state. "On the one hand, the SEC is reluctant to deploy the central forces. On the other hand, civil volunteers are deployed for the election duty," he claimed. "Is SEC silently facilitating the booth capturing by TMC goons?" asked Majumdar.
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Twitter post by Majumdar
On the one hand, The SEC is reluctant to deploy the central forces. On the other hand, civil volunteers are deployed for the election duty.
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) July 8, 2023
This clearly shows that state govt and SEC has hoodwinked the courts.
Is SEC silently facilitating the booth capturing by TMC goons ? pic.twitter.com/HymI5Cqcvn
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Battle between 'ballots, bullets': Bengal governor
On the other hand, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose urged the people of rural Bengal on Friday to exercise their franchise in the panchayat polls without fail. Furthermore, the governor also described the panchayat polls on Saturday as a battle "between ballots and bullets" and assured that he would be monitoring the state's situation.
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Bengal panchayat polls under central, state police personnel's watch
Meanwhile, Saturday's polling process to elect representatives for village councils is reportedly being conducted under the watchful eyes of the central government authorities for a second time since the inception of the Panchayati Raj system in West Bengal in the late 1970s. Around 70,000 state police personnel and 65,000 central police personnel have been deployed across West Bengal to maintain peace during polling.