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Panchayat polls begin in West Bengal; death toll mounts to 24
The polling began at 7am and will go on till 5pm. Around 50.67 million voters are likely to exercise their franchise to choose representatives for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samitis, and 63,229 gram-panchayat seats
The crucial three-tier panchayat elections took off in West Bengal Saturday morning amid heavy security even as at least five persons more persons were killed since Friday night talking the total death toll to 24.
In the latest, three persons were allegedly killed in Murshidabad districts Khargram, Rejinagar and Beldanga, and a man was allegedly beaten to death in North 24 Parganas. In Malda, one person was killed in a crude bomb blast.
Bengal has been witnessing incidents of violence since panchayat poll dates were announced on June 8.
The polling began at 7am and will go on till 5pm. Around 50.67 million voters are likely to exercise their franchise to choose representatives for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samitis, and 63,229 gram-panchayat seats.
Amidst the violence, a booth was ransacked and set on fire at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district. A booth at Nimtita in Murshidabad was looted late on Friday night, said the presiding officer of the booth. At Islampur in North Dinajpur, the voting was over within one hour.
“There was only one state police personnel. There were no central forces,” the officer told the media.
Even though the state election commission (SEC) has sent a requisition for 822 companies of central forces to be deployed in West Bengal during the panchayat elections after being pulled up by the Calcutta high court, only 600 companies have arrived, according to officials of SEC.
Moreover, apprehending post-poll violence, the Calcutta high court ordered on Friday that central forces, which are currently deployed in the state, should remain there for at least ten days after the poll results.
Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing unrest, Governor CV Ananda Bose hit the streets on Saturday morning to take stalk of situations on the polling day. He is expected to visit some polling stations in the districts.
The crucial panchayat polls, which are being seen as a litmus test for all political parties in the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, are scheduled for Saturday. The counting of ballots will be held on July 11.
Meanwhile, the TMC has alleged that the central force personnel were intimidating voters in peaceful areas. The central forces have failed to protect the citizens, said Shashi Panja, state minister.
Reacting to this, Sukanta Majumdar, BJP state president said that even after central forces were sent to the state, they have been deployed in relatively peaceful areas whereas sensitive booths were kept unguarded.
