KOLKATA: At least 12 people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway on Saturday for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state, officials said.
During the course of elections in 73,887 seats involving 2.06 lakh candidates, several activists of political parties received injuries when bullets were fired, bombs were hurled and attacked by rivals with sticks and sharp weapons.
Though the State Election Commission (SEC) did not give any official figure of death toll on the day of the rural polls, reports from districts revealed seven of the victims were identified as workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress who faced strong resistance from oppositions both in north and south Bengal districts. Two BJP supporters, two CPI(M) activists and a Congress supporter were also killed in the violence on Saturday.
As Bengal has been witnessing clashes between political parties since the day the date for the rural polls was announced, the death toll in the violence before and on the day of the election has gone up to 31 in past one month.
Anticipation of large-scale violence has turned out to be a fact on the day of three-tier panchayat elections as a BJP polling agent was shot dead at Falimari in Cooch Behar and four other workers of other political parties were allegedly killed hours shortly before and after the electoral exercise started across West Bengal.
The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth he was stopped by TMC supporters, and as the situation escalated, they killed him.
The TMC denied the allegations.
The supporter of an Independent candidate died in Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district after he was beaten up overnight, police said.
The deceased was identified as 41-year-old Abdullah.
He died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital in the morning, Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukherjee said.
Protesting against the killing, locals blocked the Taki Road in the early hours but they were removed by the police.
A TMC worker was killed in Murshidabad district's Kapasdanga area overnight in poll-related violence.
The deceased was identified as Babar Ali, officials said.
The ruling TMC said that two of its workers were killed in Rejinagar and Khargram in Murshidabad district, and another person in Tufanganj in Coochbehar district.
"The polling started peacefully, but Congress, BJP and CPI(M) are attacking TMC workers since last night. Three of our workers have died in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram. And, two of our workers were injured in Domkal. Where are the central forces?" TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asked.
The brother of a TMC leader was killed in a clash with Congress supporters in Malda district, police said.
The incident happened in Jisharattola in Manikchak police station area.
The deceased was identified as Malek Sheikh, they said.
Allegations of attempts to loot ballot boxes and attack voters were made by all the parties. Clashes were also reported from other parts of the state.
At many places, ballot papers were either snatched or destroyed allegedly by the ruling TMC activists, polling booths were vandalised and presiding officers were manhandled and threatened.
Despite Calcutta High Court's order to deploy Central Armed Paramilitary Force (CAPF) in all booths in equal ratio with their state counterparts many booths didn't have enough security.
Ballot box was seen set ablaze in Cooch Behar’s Dinhata and in Raninagar, policemen aimed guns to disperse TMC supporters assembled in front of a booth.
CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field, tweeting, "Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour."
At least 600 companies of central forces have been deployed for the elections along with around 70,000 state police.
Sharing a video on Twitter, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that ballot boxes were set ablaze at a booth in Coochbehar district with poll officials having fled the scene.
At many booths, the casting of votes was over within two hours in the morning and opposition parties alleged the TMC’s men enjoyed a free hand to cast false votes and forced the presiding officers to seal the ballot box.
Referring to the death of Madhab Biswas, who was shot in his head in Cooch Behar, BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar tweeted, “Is this why CM @MamataOfficial was opposing the deployment of the Central forces so that her goons have free run to murder opposition karyakartas?”
BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar was contacted by the office of the Union Home minister, Amit Shah. “I was asked about the violence during panchayat elections. I will submit a written report,” said Majumdar.
TMC minister Shashi Panja said incident took place at around 60 booths. “Elections were held peacefully in 13-14 districts out of 22. Many were in favour of the deployment of CAPF but the central force personnel were seen influencing voters to exercise their franchise in favour of a particular political party,” she alleged.
West Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited a number areas in North 24 Parganas on Saturday. "This is the most sacred day for democracy. Election must be through ballots and not bullets. It should cause concern to all of us," he said, urging people to come out and exercise their franchise,” he said.
The polling started 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, they said.
Till 3 pm, 50.52 per cent voter turnout was recorded, officials said.
There are 63,229 gram panchayat seats and 9,730 panchayat samiti seats in 22 districts, while 928 zilla parishad seats in 20 districts as Darjeeling and Kalimpong have a two-tier system with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and Siliguri Sub-divisional Council at the top.
Long queues outside polling booths were seen as early as 6 am with people turning out early amid the intermittent rains.
The ruling TMC is contesting all the 928 seats in zilla parishads, 9,419 seats in panchayat samitis and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats.
The BJP has fielded candidates in 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats.
The CPI(M) is fighting 747 zilla parishad seats, 6,752 panchayat samiti seats and 35,411 gram panchayat seats.
The Congress is contesting 644 zilla parishad seats, 2,197 panchayat samiti seats and 11,774 gram panchayat seats.
ALSO READ:
(With inputs from PTI)