12 killed as violence rocks WB panchayat polls

KOLKATA,

WEST Bengal’s rural polls drew towards a bloody finish as 12 people killed, bombs exploded and all parties leveled allegations of strong arm tactics against their rivals on Saturday. Twelve people, including eight from the ruling TMC and one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M), Congress and ISF died since midnight in the crucial three-tier panchayat polls, officials said. The election which is being seen by analysts as a litmus test for the 2024 parliamentary elections, also witnessed scenes of ballot boxes being stolen and burnt and of public anger against political workers. Among flashpoints were Murshidabad, Nadia and Cooch Behar districts besides pockets in South 24 Parganas such as Bhangar and in Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram. The polling began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the State with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates. Till 3 pm, 50.52 per cent voter turnout was recorded, officials said.

Political parties made accusations and counter-accusations as the day lengthened. TMC’s senior minister Sashi Panja said, “Shocking incidents are being reported since last night. BJP, CPI(M) and Congress have colluded.” She also raised questions on the role of the central forces. Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, demanded that President’s Rule be imposed in the State and threatened to lead a march to Kalighat where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lives against the violence in the panchayat polls. “A free and fair election under the State administration is a mirage. It is only possible only if elections are held under President’s Rule or Article 355,” he said In a statement, TMC however claimed that if the party was behind the violence, “why would their own workers be targeted and killed? The Opposition has conceded defeat and is now attempting to shape the narrative around how violence affected the election”.

It also alleged that there are more than 60,000 booths across West Bengal, however only 60-odd booths have witnessed disruption during the polling process.Meanwhile, Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi made a representation to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking an urgent hearing of a prayer seeking that Saturday’s panchayat elections in West Bengal be declared null and void on account of violence and killings. Among those killed was BJP’s polling agent Madhab Biswas who was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district, the BJP spokesperson said. The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth in the morning he was stopped by TMC supporters, and as the situation escalated, they killed him. The TMC denied the allegations. An Independent candidate’s supporter was injured in the Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district. Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukherjee had earlier told reporters that 41-year-old Abdullah Ali died, but later the superintendent of Barasat Hospital said that he was critically injured and on ventilator support but not dead. Uttar Dinajpur’s Goalpokhar witnessed a clash between TMC and Congress workers where the husband of the TMC Panchayat head Shanshah was killed, officials said.

A TMC worker was also killed in Murshidabad district’s Kapasdanga area in overnight violence. The deceased was identified as Babar Ali, officials said. Another TMC worker was killed in the district’s Khargram area. He was identified as Sabiruddin Sk. The TMC also alleged that its booth committee member in Tufanganj 2 panchayat samiti in Cooch Behar, Ganesh Sarkar, was killed in an attack by the BJP. The brother of a TMC leader was killed in a clash with Congress supporters in Malda district, police said.