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11 killed on Bengal panchayat poll day, BJP says ‘bodies dropping like pins’; TMC hits back
West Bengal Panchayat Election latest news: BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district.
While at least 11 people were reportedly killed and properties were damaged in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state, a war of words broke out between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, with both blaming each other for the bloody Saturday.
BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district. The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth he was stopped by TMC supporters, and as the situation escalated, they killed him. The TMC denied the allegations.
The supporter of an Independent candidate died in Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district after he was beaten up overnight, police said.
West Bengal minister Shashi Panja claimed that “TMC workers have been murdered”, and hit out at the central forces for "failing to protect the citizens".
Claiming "shocking" and "tragic" incidents have unfolded ahead of the Panchayat elections in West Bengal, the minister said, "The BJP, CPI(M) and Congress had colluded together and were clamouring for Central forces. Where is the deployment? Why have the central forces failed to protect the citizens?"
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“When violence strikes, it begs the question: where were the Central Forces? In a tragic incident in Chapra, Nadia, one of our party workers was hacked to death by @INCWestBengal goons, and in the resulting confrontation, other party members were subjected to vicious assaults with lethal weapons. What good is their presence if incidents of violence and bloodshed continue unabated?” the TMC tweeted.
It alleged that a “blatant act of violence” was displayed in Hasnabad, North 24 Parganas, claiming that the unholy alliance of the Congress and the CPI(M) have openly attacked its party supporters.
“Where are the parachuted Central forces now? Clearly, their deployment was only meant for 'special' and 'selected' cases to favour the unholy trinity in Bengal,” it tweeted.
In another tweet, the TMC claimed that a BJP candidate poured water into the ballot box in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, while the central forces looked the other way.
“Their demand for deployment of Central Forces now seems like a calculated move to enable their dirty tactics. This level of blatant sabotage is an insult to democracy,” Mamata Banerjee-led party claimed.
It also said in Narayanpur-I Gram Panchayat of Nadia, CPI(M) “hooligans” opened fire on its candidate, Hasina Sultana's husband. “They hurled crude, country-made bombs at our workers moments before the start of the elections. Despite the deployment of central forces, our worker from Salbari-II Gram Panchayat of Jalpaiguri was critically wounded by @BJP4Bengal goons,” it tweeted.
The recent incidents of violence not only raise serious doubts about the competence and preparedness of the central forces but also expose the hollowness of the claims made by BJP, CPI(M) and Congress about their role in ensuring peaceful elections, it said.
Disgraceful to see BJP resorting to dirty tactics: Kunal Ghosh
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said it was “disgraceful” to see the BJP resorting to dirty tactics by preventing people from exercising their right to vote in the Nandigram-I block.
“They shamelessly play with people's constitutional rights while the central forces stand idly by as mere spectators. This is a blatant attack on democracy. Shame on BJP for undermining the very foundation of our electoral process!” he tweeted.
Democracy is dead in West Bengal: BJP
The BJP, too, slammed the TMC for the violence.
“BJP polling agent Madhav Biswas murdered at Coochbehar’s Falimari, West Bengal. Is this why CM @MamataOfficial was opposing the deployment of the central forces so that her goons have free run to murder opposition karyakartas?” BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar tweeted.
“Bloodshed in West Bengal in Panchayat Election. TMC candidate killed an independent Muslim candidate in North 24, Parganas dist. TMC knows only language of violence, murder and booth capturing. CM @MamataOfficial along with @CEOWestBengal is responsible for these murders,” he said in another tweet.
Claiming that democracy is dead in West Bengal, Majumdar said polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Cooch Behar, was vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire.
BJP IT-cell head Amit Malviya shared a video and tweeted, “Bomb’s hurled around polling stations in Bengal’s Murshidabad. WB police, it seems, has been told not to act. There is no semblance of free and fair poll… SEC and WB Govt are in contempt of Court’s directions. They haven’t deployed CAPF, despite force being stationed in Bengal…”
“Bodies are dropping like pins in Bengal. The wave of political violence, unleashed in the run up to Panchayat polls, continues unabated. Mamata Banerjee, as Home Minister of WB, is squarely responsible for this. WB Govt, in collusion with SEC, have denied people right to vote…,” he added.
Malviya alleged that the West Bengal panchayat election has been reduced to a farce. The SEC and local police have intentionally mishandled the deployment of CAPF, he added. “SEC was always reluctant to deploy CAPF. Despite Court orders, civic volunteers are being used, there are no CCTV cameras, no recordings… Several thousand booths have inadequate security arrangement… SEC is facilitating capture of booths by TMC goons,” he tweeted.
Among those killed were five TMC members, and one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress, and the supporter of an Independent candidate, news agency PTI reported.
Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in at least two polling booths, they added.
The polling began at 7am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates. Till 9 am, 10.26 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
Governor CV Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence and interacted with voters.
(With inputs from agencies)
