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West Bengal panchayat polls today amid tight security; a ‘litmus test’ for TMC, BJP
The upcoming polls are expected to witness a fierce competition for local administration control among the ruling TMC, Indian Secular Front (ISF), and BJP.
Marred with pre-poll violence, the voting for Panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held on Saturday under stringent security measures. The elections will take place in a single phase, and the State Election Commission (SEC) has deployed additional central forces to ensure peace during the polls as the state witnessed violence during the campaign for these rural elections. The counting of votes will take place on July 11. (Check West Bengal Panchayat election LIVE updates here)
In 2018, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 34% of the seats uncontested in the panchayat elections, which were marred by instances of violence.
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Fierce tussle between TMC, BJP and ISF
The upcoming polls are expected to witness a fierce competition for local administration control among the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), Indian Secular Front (ISF), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These elections will serve as a ‘litmus test’ for the parties in anticipation of next year's Lok Sabha elections.
More than 200,000 candidates are contesting for 73,887 seats in the elections. The main contenders in the race are the ruling Trinamool Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, and a coalition of the Congress and Left parties.
Deployment of central forces ahead of polls
As part of the preparations for the panchayat polls, an additional 822 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were sent to West Bengal on July 3. Earlier, the State Election Commission (SEC) had requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to deploy central forces in the state. This decision was made following a High Court order that directed the SEC to deploy central forces in West Bengal, equal to or more than those deployed during the panchayat polls in 2013. Since the announcement of the polls on June 8, there have been instances of violence in various parts of the state.
Governor Bose to monitor poll situation from the ground
Amidst the ongoing violence in the state, Governor CV Ananda Bose will be on the ground on Saturday. He referred to the panchayat polls as a "battle between ballots and bullets" and pledged to monitor the situation across the state and take necessary actions.
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"The ground situation is the same as it is in various violent-prone areas. People are in a state of fear. Tomorrow is the election and all voters should go to the polling booth to vote...The right of the voters is the highest right. Yes, I am doing publicity and I will do it again if they think it is...I am here for the people and to save their democratic rights...I will be there in action tomorrow for my people...." Governor was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Bose encouraged the people to participate in the voting process on Saturday, emphasizing that exercising their franchise would shape the future positively. Arriving in the Murshidabad district on Friday morning, Bose visited the family of a deceased Congress worker who lost his life during a clash between two groups on Thursday night. He assured the family of all necessary assistance.
Political violence during campaign for panchayat polls
In the run-up to the panchayat polls, three individuals lost their lives on Thursday in the state, bringing the total number of deaths due to political violence during the campaign to 18.
In 2018, a total of 23 people had died prior to the polls. According to the state police, out of the 18 deaths this year, three -- including a TMC leader in Purulia, a BJP worker in Purulia, and a BJP worker in Cooch Behar -- are not directly linked to the polls.
Voters
Around 5.67 crore voters are expected to cast their votes in order to elect representatives for nearly 928 seats spread across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samitis, and 63,239 gram panchayats.
In West Bengal, there are a total of 3,341 gram panchayats, and the number of election centers for village panchayats is 58,594. At the Gram Panchayat level, there are 63,239 seats, while at the Panchayat Samiti level, there are 9,730 seats, and at the Zila Parishad level, there are 928 seats.
(With inputs from agencies)
