ONE person was killed and two others were critical after being allegedly shot in West Bengal’s North Dinajpur district on Thursday when they were on their way to file nominations for the panchayat polls, officials said. CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim said they were supporters of the Left Front and the Congress, and the incident happened when they were going to the Chopra block office for filing nominations. After being shot, the three persons were taken to the district hospital where one of them died during treatment, officials said. The conditions of the other two persons were critical, they said. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha declined to comment on the incident, saying that he was yet to receive a report regarding it. Salim alleged that the TMC was behind the attack. “Activists and candidates have been fired upon by TMC goons just now in North Dinajpur’s Chopra block. Left-INC supporters were going to Block office for filing nomination #PanchayatElection2023,” he tweeted.

 

The ruling TMC dismissed the allegation. Polling for nearly 75,000 seats in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system will be held on July 8. WB panchayat polls: HC directs SEC to deploy Central Forces in all districts within 48 hrs: THE Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to requisition and deploy central forces across West Bengal for the July 8 panchayat elections in the State. The court noted that no appreciable steps have been taken ever since an order was passed by it on June 13 to deploy central forces in sensitive areas for the poll process. Petitioners had prayed for the deployment of central forces for ensuring peaceful elections.

 

Opposition parties have been alleging that the ruling Trinamool Congress supporters resorted to violence to prevent their candidates from filing nomination papers. Lawyer for a section of petitioners before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday alleged that they were attacked by goons when they were going to file nomination papers for the ensuing panchayat elections in West Bengal under police escort in South 24 Parganas district. Mamata blames Oppn: WEST Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Opposition parties of trying to malign the State by orchestrating violence while filing nominations for the panchayat polls. Talking to reporters outside a party office at Maheshtala near here, Banerjee, also the Trinamool Congress supremo, asserted that those who “were non-performers” have been denied tickets by the party this time. “Opposition parties are trying to create disturbances by orchestrating violence while filing nominations. They are doing it to tarnish the State’s image. The CPI(M) is behind today’s violence in the Chopra area (in Uttar Dinajpur district), and ISF is attacking our party workers in Bhangore (South 24 Parganas),” she said. Banerjee also slammed the BJP-led Central Government for stopping the due funds for the State and using central agencies to threaten the TMC. Violence has rocked various parts of Bengal for the last week over the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls.