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WB panchayat polls: Death toll mounts to 19; governor to hit streets tomorrow
The state election commission on Thursday informed the high court that even though the entire 822 companies may not reach the state before polling, efforts were being made to send in maximum forces
The death toll in the run-up to July 8 panchayat polls in West Bengal climbed to 19 after one more person was allegedly killed in Murshidabad district late on Thursday night.
Bengal has been witnessing incidents of violence since panchayat poll dates were announced on June 8.
Police said that the incident took place late Thursday night. A man identified as Aurobindo Mondol was beaten to death in the Raninagar area in Murshidabad, they said. Family members of the deceased said that Mondol was a Congress worker and was suffering from heart ailments, they blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for his death.
“He was punched and kicked. He lost consciousness and fell to the ground. He was declared dead when rushed to the hospital. The TMC was behind it,” said Annapurna Mondol, a relative of the victim.
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Local TMC leaders, however, brushed aside the charges saying that Mondol along with other Congress workers attacked the TMC candidate.
Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing unrest across the state, Governor CV Ananda Bose has said that he would once again hit the streets on Saturday to take stalk of situations on the polling day.
“I will be on the road on Saturday. For the past few days, I have been mobile. Tomorrow before the voting begins, I will be on the road. I will go back after the voting ends. I will take stock of what is happening across the state. I will take corrective measures to the extent I am entitled to,” Bose told reporters.
On Friday the governor visited some of the violence-hit areas in Murshidabad district, including Nabagram and Khargram, where a TMC worker and a Congress worker were allegedly killed earlier, and met with the family members of workers.
Over the past three weeks, the Bengal Governor has been visiting violence-hit areas in South 24 Parganas and Cooch Behar and meeting families of victims.
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 would be held on July 11. Polling will be held between 7am and 5pm.
On Friday, apprehending post-poll violence, the Calcutta high court ordered that central forces, which are currently deployed in the state, should remain there for at least ten days after the poll results.
The Union ministry of home affairs had sanctioned 822 companies of central forces and state armed police. The state election commission on Thursday informed the high court that even though the entire 822 companies may not reach the state before polling, efforts were being made to send in maximum forces.
“The maximum number of central force personnel, around 45 companies, would be deployed in Murshidabad district. Around 35 companies would be stationed in North 24 Parganas, 30 companies in Malda, 37 in Howrah and 33 in East Burdwan,” said a poll panel official.
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.
Out of the 61,636 told polling stations, polling is not being held in 1043 stations as the TMC has won them uncontested.