Bengal Panchayat Election Result highlights: TMC resides in hearts of people, says Mamata Banerjee as party sweeps polls

West Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose visited a counting center in South 24 Parganas today morning to take stock of the situation amid the on-going violence. 

Crude bombs go off outside a counting center in Diamond Harbour, West Bengal.

A large group of protesters have reportedly gathered outside the counting center in Diamond Harbour, and have allegedly stopped government vehicles. 

In Cooch Behar, TMC candidate Riku Roy Rajbhar has been accused of tearing the ballot papers and sprinkling ink on them as his party had bagged just two seats, while BJP was ahead in 98 gram panchayats. Reportedly, the TMC leader has been detained.

Extreme tensions prevail at Nadiar Shantipur counting center after the central forces were removed from the area. 

In Paschim Bardhaman gram panchayat, TMC has taken a lead in more than half of the seats. Meanwhile, BJP and Congress have not made any lead in the gram panchayat.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that “133 individuals who feared for their lives due to violence in the panchayat election in West Bengal sought refuge in Dhubri District of Assam.” He added, “We have provided them with shelter in a relief camp, as well as food and medical assistance.”

According to the latest trends, TMC is leading in 1,629 gram panchayat seats, while the BJP is ahead in 364 seats. The CPIM is ahead with 362 seats, and the Congress is leading with 118.

BJP, CPIM, Congress blocked National Highway No. 117 in Bishnupur of South 24 Parganas to protest the alleged violence by Trinamool Congress-backed miscreants at the polling station of Bishnupur Block No. 1.

Mamata Banerjee -led Trinamool Congress is ahead in 56 seats of Zilla Parishad, meanwhile the BJP is ahead in 25 seats as the counting of votes is underway.

The ongoing counting for the West Bengal panchayat election is happening at around 339 counting venues spread across 22 districts. The counting is likely to continue for the next two days, a state election commission officer said Tuesday. At least 80-90 central force personnel will be guarding each of the 339 counting centres, officials said.

Amid the counting of votes for panchayat election, the police resorted to lathi charge crowd after people reportedly tried to enter a counting centre in Howrah, Live Hindustan reported.

Reportedly, workers and supporters of several political parties gathered outside the counting center in Uttar 24 Pargana's Bryarakpur Block 1. Due to this, a large number of police forces have been deployed.

The Calcutta High Court had said that central forces should be deployed in the state for at least 10 days after the election results amid the on-going violence in the state. 

Amid the counting of votes for the West Bengal panchayat elections, the state election commission website has crashed. “The service is unavailable,” reads the message.

The early trends for the West Bengal Panchayat elections show TMC leading in 461 gram panchayats, followed by CPIM in 108, BJP in 92, and Congress in 12 seats.

Security personnel open lathi charge to disperse a large number of people - who were reportedly attempting to enter the counting center in Howrah.

Tensions prevailed in South 24 Parganas' Diamond Harbor Fakir Chand College counting center as the opposition protested by blocking the national highway for not allowing their candidate to enter the counting hall. Reportedly, the opposition also alleged that some TMC-affiliated miscreants have surrounded the entrance to the counting center and are throwing bombs. Meanwhile, the TMC has denied the allegations.

The counting of votes will be done in six phases, reported Live Hindustan citing an official of the poll panel. Reportedly, the ballots of gram panchayats will be counted first, followed by votes of Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad. The counting is expected to go on till late night. 

The opposition parties are staging protests by blocking roads in some areas over allegations that their candidates were not allowed to enter the booths. 

According to sources, tensions are running high outside several counting centers - Bagnan in Howrah, Golsi in East Burdwan, and Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas - as allegations surfaced that agents of opposition candidates were not allowed to enter the booths. 

BJP leader Agnimitra Paul on Tuesday hit out at the TMC over the pre-poll violence saying, “44 people have been killed in panchayat poll violence till yesterday. And even today, on counting day, we have information that the TMC cadre will create a lot of ruckus. Why is Mamata Banerjee silent on these deaths?”

According to reports, around 42 people have died in election-related violence in West Bengal since June 8. On July 8 alone, 18 people died and a dozen others were injured. Read more here

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose while speaking to the media on pre-poll violence said, “There will be a relentless fight against growing violence in Bengal. Those who commit violence in the field will be made to curse the day they are born. All authorities will come down with a heavy hand on the goons and lawbreakers.”

The counting of votes for the West Bengal panchayat elections has begun.