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West Bengal panchayat election highlights: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari demands CBI, NIA probe into poll violence
West Bengal panchayat election LIVE: The state is witnessing a fierce contest Saturday between the ruling TMC and BJP for control over local administrations.
West Bengal panchayat election 2023 highlights: A fiercely contested panchayat election played out in West Bengal on Saturday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) taking on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in a high-stake battle to control local administrations. Around 5.67 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the election for which the counting will be held on July 11....Read More
The election will be held in a single phase amid tight security measures in which over 2,00,000 candidates are contesting for 73,887 seats. The state has been witnessing a series of violent incidents since the election date was announced on June 8 - 25 killed so far.
The electoral exercise holds immense significance for both parties as it serves as a litmus test ahead of the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
The voting began at 7am and concluded by 5pm.
West Bengal panchayat polls: ‘Farce in name of election’, says BJP
West Bengal panchayat polls: “When Election Commission and Govt collude and take a decision that the ruling TMC loot the election, then what is happening now will happen. Central forces came here but they were not sent to booths...Four people have been killed so far. One, there is a fight within TMC itself, two - TMC is attacking BJP & other parties. It seems to be a farce in the name of election...We can't call this an election for the people”, BJP leader Rahul Sinha tells ANI
Polling agent of BJP candidate killed in attack on polling booth in Cooch Behar
Polling agent of a BJP candidate killed in an attack on a polling booth in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar. The candidate is admitted to a hospital after sustaining injuries, voting suspended at the booth.
Polling underway in Jalpaiguri amid tight security
Polling is underway in New Jalpaiguri amid stringent security amid reports violence from other districts.
Polling halted in Raiganj: Report
BJP demands CRPF deployment in Raiganj; polling halted, reports PTI
What happened in 2018 West Bengal Panchayat polls
In the last panchayat elections in 2018, TMC bagged around 34 per cent of the seats uncontested and won 90 per cent of the rest, amid allegations of violence.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra tweets after casting ballot: ‘Just voted in the WB panchayat elections- go TMC!’
‘TMC openly looting ballots’: Sukanta Majumdar
Tagging PM Modi, WB CM Mamata Banerjee, BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar shared a video allegedly from booth No . 44 & 45 of the Kholakhali, Nurpur Panchayat displaying ‘TMC hooliganism’ and added that it has crossed all limits and is now stifling democracy by looting ballots openly.
'Violent incidents raise serious doubts about competence of Central Forces', tweets TMC
“BJP, CPM and the Congress were clamouring for (deployment of) central forces. Where is the deployment and why have the central forces failed to protect its citizens,” asks TMC leader Shashi Panja
The TMC's state general secretary Kunal Ghosh alleges that one of its candidates was beaten up by BJP workers in Jalpaiguri district in the presence of central forces.
TMC worker killed, death toll climbs to 24
A TMC worker was killed after crude bombs were hurled at Manikchak in Malda, taking the death toll to 24.
Poll violence death toll rises to 23
Death toll mounts to 23 as one person was killed at Rejinagar in Murshidabad. Read more
Listen in | People of Raiganj demand of central forces ahead of voting
TMC alleges that three party workers were murdered and two injured, asks, “Where are the Central Forces when they are needed the most?”
Meanwhile, voters in West Midnapore say polling is ‘peaceful’
"The polling is being held peacefully here and we have full faith in the government," says one of the voters at a polling booth in West Midnapore district of West Bengal.
Nandigram residents call for Central forces' deployment at booths
Residents of Nandigram Block 1 of Purba Medinipur district say that they are boycotting the election until Central forces are deployed at booth numbers 67 & 68 in Mahammadpur No. 2 area.
A voter, Govind told ANI, "There is no Central force here. Booth capturing keeps happening here by TMC. They do bogus voting even in the name of the deceased. We won't allow voting here unless Central forces come here..."
People brave rainfall to cast votes at poll booth in Basanti
Rainfall did not deter voters, who queued up with umbrellas, to cast their ballots at a polling station in Basanti of South 24 Parganas district.
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose hits the streets, visits polling booth in various districts
Death toll from Bengal poll violence no 22
Two people were killed at Kadambagachi North 24 Parganas and Beldanga in Murshidabad as the death toll from the poll violence in Bengal rose to 22.
Why violence in Bengal persists
One of the great paradoxes of modern nation-States is the pervasiveness of political violence that thrives alongside robust democratic franchise. In India, stranger still is the varied nature of this kind of violence – between clans, communities, faiths and castes. Yet, in Bengal – the state most notorious for violence around elections – these social cleavages melt away in front of the sharp divisions along party lines, which sparks a volley of low-intensity but high-frequency clashes. Read more
Just hours ahead of the polls, a house was vandalised in Murshidabad. Meanwhile, a polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Coochbehar also came under attack.
Visuals from Nandigram as voting underway for 2023 West Bengal Panchayat elections
WB panchayat poll violence death toll rises to 20
After hectic campaigning and a nomination filing process scarred by violence, polling for panchayats in West Bengal began on Saturday morning under stringent security cover. While there were reports of violence in the state around the filing of nominations, similar incidents took place thereafter as well. One person was killed at Khargram in WB's Murshidabad district while a booth was ransacked and set on fire at Dihata in Cooch Behar.
Voting for the 2023 West Bengal Panchayat polls begins
2023 West Bengal Panchayat elections: Voting on a total of 63,229 gram panchayat seats; 9,730 panchayat samiti seats; and 928 zilla parishad seats begins
Preps underway, voters queue up as countdown to voting stars
Voters queue up outside polling booths in Murshidabad district and Dinhata, Cooch Behar with just minutes left to go before voting for West Bengal Panchayat elections begins.
