Revoting at 568 polling booths for panchayat elections in West Bengal began on Wednesday, 16 May, on the direction of the State Election Commission (SEC) after violence ripped through the state, leaving 12 people dead and at least 43 injured on Monday.
In Uttar Dinajpur district's Goalpokhar, the Rapid Action Force and police charged at the people after they agitated over the delay in revoting at booth number 36/37 on Wednesday, according to ANI.
Some unidentified miscreants fled with a ballot box from booth number 76 in Malda's Ratua, another person brandished a gun, reported ANI.
The body of Raj Kumar Ray, 33, presiding officer of a polling booth in the panchayat election, who had been missing since the polls on 14 May, was found beside railway tracks in Raiganj, in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district.
The state government and the police have been asked to make elaborate security arrangements so that polling can be held in a free and fair manner, the SEC official said.
Repolling has been ordered in 10 booths in Hooghly, 28 booths in West Midnapore, 52 booths in Coochbehar, 63 booths in Murshidabad, 60 booths in Nadia, 59 booths in North 24 Parganas, 55 booths in Malda, 73 booths in Uttar Dinajpur, 26 in South 24 Parganas, among others.
The SEC official also said that the final voting percentage had gone up to 82.13 percent from 73 percent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hit out at the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal over the violence, saying democracy was "murdered" for narrow political interests, PTI reported.
The way democracy was murdered... from (filing of) nominations to polling, democracy had no place.PM Narendra Modi
Opposition parties have accused the TMC of "unleashing a reign of terror and destroying democracy". The TMC, however, has termed the allegations "baseless".
Aggrieved by the violence that marked Monday's panchayat polls in West Bengal, several candidates in the fray met State Election Commission officials and demanded repolling in their booths.
"I have come here to inform the SEC about yesterday's violence in my locality. Free and fair election did not take place in my area," said Etajul, an independent candidate from Bhangore in South 24 Parganas district.
Candidates from political parties also met the SEC officials to request re-poll in their seats.
Various non-political organisations conducted sit-in demonstrations outside the SEC office today in protest against Monday's violence.
(With inputs from PTI)
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