Kolkata: Eight people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway on Saturday for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state.
The polling started at 7 am 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. Long queues outside polling booths were seen as early as 6 am with people turning out early amid the intermittent rains.
TMC workers allegedly destroyed the polling booth and restrained the locals from voting at Barasat’s Jhikra FP School polling booth. The miscreants also reportedly stole ballot boxes, newswire PTI reported.
The BJP alleged that when BJP polling agent Madhab 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.
“Its a blood soaked panchayat election. Madhab Biswas, BJP’s polling agent, murdered by TMC goons, in Coochbehar’s Phalimari village. Where is the SEC? Mamata Banerjee has blood of innocent people on her hands. Her draconian regime must end in West Bengal,” tweets Amit Malviya.
Its a blood soaked Panchayat election. Madhab Biswas, BJP’s polling agent, murdered by TMC goons, in Coochbehar’s Phalimari village. Where is the SEC? Mamata Banerjee has blood of innocent people on her hands. Her draconian regime must end in West Bengal… pic.twitter.com/gCIk1bnyPy
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 8, 2023
Polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Coochbehar was vandalised and ballot papers set on fire…
It is obvious that SEC’s decision, despite opposition, to hold election in single phase has been a disaster. Poor security arrangement is meant to help TMC capture booths. pic.twitter.com/Nt9el0uboD— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 8, 2023
The polls are likely to see a fierce tussle for control of local administrations between the ruling Trinamool Congress, Indian Secular Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party and will be a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
The ruling TMC is contesting all the 928 seats in zilla parishads, 9,419 seats in panchayat samitis and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats. The BJP has fielded candidates in 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats.
In 2018, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won uncontested, 34 per cent of the seats in panchayat elections, which also saw various instances of violence.