West Bengal panchayat election highlights: BJP's Suvendu Adhikari demands CBI, NIA probe into poll violence

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said that there were no CCTV cameras at the booths and that the state police were also not present. “Today 18 people have been murdered...We have written to the state election commission regarding the incident,” she said. 

Union minister Prahlad Patel took a dig at TMC government citing the violence at panchayat polling booths and said, “In Mamata Banerjee's government, we are seeing youth running with a ballot box, and miscreants are roaming around with bombs in their hands. Violence is taking place at polling booths. Who is behind this violence? Who is responsible for this? Mamata govt and CM Mamta Banerjee should answer this.” (ANI)

“CM Mamata Banerjee is responsible for the violence in the state today. Why CRPF was not deployed on the booths. We will go to court along with the family members of the deceased in today's violence and demand a detailed probe into the incident,” said West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari. 

“Section 144 should be imposed in the violence-affected areas and CAPF should be deployed on all the booths. Today we are wearing black bands as it is Black Day for democracy. We demand CBI, and NIA probe after today's incident. I will ask the State election commissioner to direct CM Mamata Banerjee to compensate ₹50 lakh to the deceased. The total death toll after today's violence is 19,” news agency ANI quoted West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari as saying. 

Amid the widespread violence in West Bengal during the Panchayat poll on Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ajoy Ray claimed that three BJP workers were allegedly shot at by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers in Cooch Behar's Dinhata, reported ANI. 

"Many people have died during the panchayat polls voting. CM Mamata Banerjee and state election commissioner reduced the panchayat elections to a joke," West Bengal BJP leader Agnimitra Paul said on Saturday.

BJP National Vice-President Dilip Ghosh on Sunday slammed in TMC government in West Bengal over the violence in the state ahead of the Panchayat polls, and said that "every time when there is an election in the state, violence erupts."

The CPI(M) accused the State Election Commission of enacting a farce in the name of holding panchayat elections in West Bengal on Saturday. The CPI(M) also blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for the 12 deaths on the polling day.

West Bengal BJP President Dr Sukanta Majumdar writes to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting to restore democracy in the state after it witnessed violence during the Panchayat poll.

BSF fired two rounds in the air to prevent looting of ballot box at Khargram in Murshidabad. 

Around 5.67 crore eligible voters have locked fate of representatives for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat Samiti, and 63,239-gram panchayats seats.

The number of village panchayat election centres is 58,594. There are 63,239 seats at the Gram Panchayat level, 9730 at Panchayat Samiti and 928 at the Zila Parishad level. (ANI)

The BJP lashed out at the TMC government in West Bengal over the violence in Panchayat polls on Saturday, saying it considers "murders" as its guarantee to power and that the state's "bomb culture" is shaming India and its democracy the world over.

Hitting out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Union minister Anurag Thakur said she cannot preside over an election in the state “without killings and chaos,” reported PTI. "How low will she stoop to establish her party's dominance in the panchayat polls," he asked.

Reports of violence have now emerged from West Bengal's Birbhum duping panchayat election voting. More details are awaited. 

BJP president JP Nadda spoke to West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP West Bengal in-charge Mangal Pandey on panchayat poll violence, ANI reported. During the talk, he said that “BJP will not let this death of democracy happen and we will take this fight to a decisive level in a democratic way.”

“One person is suspected to be dead and yet to be declared by the doctors. The bomb hit the victim's head...,” Dibakar Das, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) told ANI on the alleged blast at Phul Malancha bolling both in South 24 Parganas. 

Bengal’s rural polls drew towards a bloody finish as 12 people died, bombs exploded and all parties leveled allegations of strong arm tactics against their rivals on Saturday, reported PTI. 

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 Trinamool Congress tweeted a video and claimed that the people seen in it are BJP workers who are running away after stealing a ballot box in Cooch Behar. 

"...The governor made the biggest mistake by appointing Rajiva Sinha...It is 3 pm & over 15 people have died, they were killed by TMC goons...Centre should intervene with either Article 355 or 356...we want action from custodian of constitution...": West Bengal LoP & BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari told ANI. 

Stone pelting and hurling of bombs has been reported at booth numbers 25 and 26 in Nagharia area of English Bazar in Malda district. Police personnel are present at the spot. Injuries have also been reported.

The Trinamool Congress has hit out at the opposition parties in the state who were clamouring for the deployment of central forces in West Bengal amid the violence, questioning where were the central forces at the time of violence which claimed several lives.

Taking a jibe, TMC said that the death toll due to the election-related incidents is mounting under the "close supervision of Central Forces". (ANI)

“TMC only contests and wins elections with the help of violence and this is a blot on democracy,” UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh told PTI on panchayat poll violence in West Bengal.

Two children were injured in a blast in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday which happened when they picked up a crude bomb from the roadside mistaking it to be a ball, PTI reported citing officials.

The incident happened in Bhangor amid the polling for panchayat elections in the state, they said.

"The two children mistook the crude bomb for a ball, and as one of them touched it, it went off. Security forces were sent to the area to find if any more bombs were there," an official said.

The two children, aged between 8 and 10, were admitted to a hospital, he said.