Bengal Panchayat Elections: 12 Useless in Violence; BJP Seeks Re-poll As TMC 'Assured of Win' | Key Factors

Bengal Panchayat Elections: 12 Useless in Violence; BJP Seeks Re-poll As TMC 'Assured of Win' | Key Factors [ad_1]

Police personnel attempt to maitain legislation and order after a conflict between rival political teams throughout panchyat elections, at Nagaria village in Malda district of West Bengal. (Picture: PTI)

Bengal's State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha has pledged to deal with complaints of vote tampering and take into account the choice of re-polling based mostly on stories from observers and returning officers

The agricultural polls in Bengal concluded on a violent word, with the demise toll climbing to over 12 amid a number of bomb explosions and accusations of strong-arm techniques amongst political events on Saturday. Whereas the BJP occasion has demanded re-polling, the TMC has asserted confidence in rising victorious in a majority of the seats when the votes are counted on July 11.

Among the many deaths, eight victims belonged to the ruling TMC occasion, whereas one employee every from the BJP, CPI(M), Congress and ISF died since midnight in the course of the pivotal three-tier panchayat polls.

West Bengal’s State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha has pledged to deal with complaints of vote tampering and take into account the choice of re-polling based mostly on stories from observers and returning officers.

Sinha acknowledged that almost all of violence-related complaints had been concentrated in 4 districts, together with North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad district which will likely be taken under consideration in the course of the evaluate course of. Round 1,300 complaints, together with incidents of miscreants fleeing with poll containers, had been reported from Barasat alone, he stated.

Listed here are the highest highlights of the West Bengal Panchayat Elections:

• The polling started at 7 am in 73,887 seats within the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore individuals deciding the destiny of round 2.06 lakh candidates. Until 5 pm, 66.28 per cent voter turnout was recorded, officers stated.
• The casualties in the course of the Bengal rural polls included Madhab Biswas, BJP’s polling agent, who was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district. In response to the BJP, Biswas was stopped by TMC supporters when he tried to enter the polling sales space within the morning, resulting in a state of affairs that escalated and resulted in his killing. Nonetheless, the TMC denied these allegations.
• In one other incident, an Impartial candidate’s supporter was injured within the Kadambagachi space of North 24 Paraganas district. Initially reported as deceased, it was later clarified that the person, Abdullah Ali, was critically injured and on ventilator assist.
• In Goalpokhar, Uttar Dinajpur, a conflict between TMC and Congress employees resulted within the demise of the husband of the TMC Panchayat head, Shanshah. A TMC employee named Babar Ali was killed in in a single day violence in Murshidabad district’s Kapasdanga space. One other TMC employee, Sabiruddin Sk, was killed within the Khargram space of the identical district. The TMC additionally claimed that Ganesh Sarkar, their sales space committee member in Tufanganj 2 panchayat samiti in Cooch Behar, was killed in an assault by the BJP.
• In a conflict with Congress supporters, the brother of a TMC chief was killed in Malda district’s Jisharattola. One other TMC employee misplaced his life in Nadia’s Chapra.
• ISF employee, Saidul Seikh, was killed in a conflict with the TMC in Haringhata. Conflicting narratives arose as TMC President Debasish Ganguli claimed that the incident occurred when ISF supporters unintentionally set off a crude bomb, whereas Seikh’s household alleged that he was attacked by TMC supporters.
• One other fatality occurred in South 24 Parganas district’s Basanti, the place a 38-year-old man named Anisur was killed. Moreover, a Congress employee named Yasmin Sk was allegedly killed in election-related violence in Murshidabad’s Rejinagar police station space. A automobile was additionally set on fireplace by miscreants in Murshidabad.
• In Purba Bardhaman district’s Aushgram 2 block, CPI(M) employee Rajibul Hoque was critically injured in an alleged assault by TMC supporters and later died whereas receiving therapy at a hospital. The TMC accused CPI(M) supporters of killing certainly one of their employees exterior a polling sales space within the Katawa space of the district. The deceased on this case was recognized as Goutam Roy.
• Congress chief Kaustav Bagchi stated that he had submitted a illustration to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta Excessive Courtroom, requesting an pressing listening to concerning a prayer to declaration the continuing panchayat elections in West Bengal as null and void because of widespread violence and killings.
• There have been additionally stories of poll field destruction and voter intimidation in sure areas. In Dinhata, Cooch Behar district, poll containers had been vandalised, and poll papers had been set on fireplace at a sales space positioned in Baravita Govt Major Faculty. Moreover, within the Barnachina space, locals allegedly burned a poll field together with the poll papers, claiming that false voting had taken place. CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim shared a video of open poll containers mendacity within the subject, tweeting, “Vote is over! Situation of the ballots, poll containers in one of many cubicles. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour."
• West Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury “congratulated" Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for successful the violent elections. “Congrats Didi, you could have gained the panchayat elections," he stated. “‘Aapni jite gechen’ (you could have gained)," he stated, including sarcastically that Banerjee’s injured leg will likely be fantastic on the counting day on July 11 and she is going to come out of her house and thank individuals for making her victorious within the polls. If the polls weren't held, then maybe there wouldn’t have been so many deaths," he stated. “What occurred on Saturday was state-sponsored terrorism," Chowdhury alleged, including that the BJP will benefit from the state of affairs because it had carried out after the 2018 panchayat polls. “No person will likely be spared by the Trinamool goons. The ruling occasion has acquired the chance to resume the license to hold out loot for the following 5 years," he added.
• Union Minister Anurag Thakur additionally slammed ruling TMC authorities and stated “the declaration of panchayat polls in West Bengal is akin to the beginning of homicide of democracy. Beating up individuals, bomb blasts, and setting issues afire grow to be widespread occurrences," he stated. He additionally focused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and stated “Rahul Gandhi is silent as a result of he desires to enter into an alliance with Mamata Banerjee. However she says she won't permit them to enter Bengal. Will Rahul Gandhi communicate something towards the homicide of democracy in West Bengal."
• Union Residence Minister Amit Shah took cognizance of the ballot violence and sought particulars from BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar.
• Whereas at the least 600 firms of central forces have been deployed for the elections together with round 70,000 state police, state BJP chief Majumdar stated that the State Election Fee (SEC) was reluctant to deploy the central forces that had been despatched to the state. He wrote a letter to Shah in search of restoration of democracy and stated, “On the one hand, the SEC is reluctant to deploy the central forces. Then again, civil volunteers are deployed for election obligation. This clearly reveals that state govt and SEC has hoodwinked the courts. Is SEC silently facilitating the sales space capturing by TMC goons?" he requested.
• BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari informed CNN-: “The state of affairs is horrible. The central forces weren't correctly used, the state election fee and the ruling TMC authorities try to mislead individuals.” He has additionally demanded President’s Rule or implementation of Article 355 within the state, a cost the TMC termed as BJP accepting “defeat" and reflecting “frustration within the saffron camp."
• TMC defended itself towards the violence with Minister Bratya Basu claiming that it's the Trinamool Congress which has been on the “receiving finish of the violence perpetuated by the opposition". “Will TMC need to kill TMC?” he requested at a press convention. “Of the 22 districts that went to rural polls, no incident of violence was reported in 16. Of the practically 61,000 cubicles, incidents had been reported in solely 60. So, one can verify the ratio of violence as compared with the areas the place polls had been held peacefully. It's lesser than one per cent," one other minister, Shashi Panja, stated.
• TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed, “A story is being spun by the opposition events with the assistance of the Governor (C V Ananda Bose) and a piece of the media that elections in West Bengal are at all times violent. There have been few situations of violence, however should you examine with earlier elections, you will note that the incidents of violence and deaths have gone down drastically."
• Bengal State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha has promised to deal with complaints of vote tampering and take into account the opportunity of re-polling after receiving stories from observers and returning officers. Sinha acknowledged that the best variety of violence-related complaints got here from 4 districts, which will likely be taken under consideration in the course of the evaluate course of. The choice concerning re-polling will likely be made on Sunday after cautious scrutiny by observers and returning officers.
• Sinha acquired quite a few stories of violence and clashes, notably from North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and Murshidabad districts. Round 1,300 complaints had been acquired from Barasat alone, together with incidents of miscreants fleeing with poll containers. An in depth scrutiny will likely be carried out, and re-polling will happen at cubicles with the best reported violence or disrupted polling. Observers and returning officers will totally look at the polling course of to find out the need of re-polling in particular areas, he said.
• Throughout the 22 districts in West Bengal, there are a complete of 63,229 gram panchayat seats and 9,730 panchayat samiti seats. There are 928 zilla parishad seats in 20 districts, excluding Darjeeling and Kalimpong, which have a two-tier system consisting of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and Siliguri Sub-divisional Council on the high.
• The ruling TMC contested in all 928 seats in zilla parishads, 9,419 seats in panchayat samitis and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats. The BJP fielded candidates for 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats. The CPI(M) contested in 747 zilla parishad seats, 6,752 panchayat samiti seats and 35,411 gram panchayat seats.
• The Congress contested the election with candidates for 644 zilla parishad seats, 2,197 panchayat samiti seats, and 11,774 gram panchayat seats.
• This election holds nice significance for political events because it permits them to evaluate their organizational strengths and weaknesses, offering perception into the state’s total sentiment after the TMC authorities’s third consecutive time period, in addition to serving as a preliminary indication for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

(With inputs from PTI)

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