West Bengal Panchayat Elections: At Least 12 Killed; TMC, BJP Trade Barbs

West Bengal panchayat polls: Incidents of ballots boxes getting damaged and the hurling of bombs were also reported.

At least 12 people were allegedly killed amid polling for the West Bengal panchayat elections on Saturday, 8 July, media reports said.

A voter turnout of 50.52 percent was recorded till 3 pm, according to the State Election Commission (SEC). As many as 5.67 crore people living in the state's rural areas were eligible to cast their ballots in the election – polling for which began at 7 am on Saturday.

Violence on polling day: Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers and one worker each of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Left, Indian Secular Front (ISF) and an individual whose political affiliation could not be ascertained were killed amid clashes on Saturday, news agency PTI reported.

A TMC worker named Sateshuddin Sheikh was killed in the Murshidabad district of the state. The polling agent of a BJP candidate was also killed in an attack by a group of people, and the candidate, named Maya Barman, herself injured.

"TMC goons hurled a bomb at my agent and killed him. They also attacked me," Barman told news agency ANI.

A TMC worker was also killed allegedly during a clash between the ruling party and Congress workers in the Nadia district.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged that their candidates were attacked by rival parties in a number of places across the state.

TMC, BJP Trade Barbs Over Violence

Meanwhile, the TMC and the BJP verbally attacked each other over the violence.

After casting his vote, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said, "This is not an election, this is death. There is a fire of violence across the state. Central forces have not been deployed. CCTVs are not operating. This is not voting but loot."

He also claimed that the TMC and the state police are operating hand-in-glove and should be blamed for the violence.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, on the other hand, fired a salvo at the BJP, saying that the majority of the people killed so far were members of the ruling party.

"They (BJP) cry foul over violence, but conveniently turn a blind eye to the fact that 6 out of 8 killed were TMC workers! BJP's manipulative trick of deploying Central forces has backfired, as they have utterly failed in maintaining law & order. Democracy bears the stain of BJP's deceitful tactics!" he took to Twitter to say.

Ballot boxes damaged, bombs hurled: Several sporadic incidents of disturbances were also reported during polling. For instance, a ballot box was set ablaze in Cooch Behar's Dinhata by voters who claimed that alleged "bogus voting" was being done there. In another polling booth in Dinhata, water was thrown into a ballot box.

In Hooghly's Dhamsa, two ballot boxes were thrown into a pond after an alleged tussle between TMC and BJP cadres at a polling booth.

Meanwhile, incidents of stone pelting and the hurling of bombs were reported from Nagharia in the state's Malda district, leading to a few people sustaining injuries.

Governor takes stock: Governor CV Ananda Bose, who travelled to several districts across West Bengal and spoke to people on the ground, said on Saturday, "It (the violence) should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy. Election must be through ballots and not bullets."

Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the violence, State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha sought details from all district magistrates regarding the number of security personnel deployed to maintain peace during the election.

On Friday, the TMC had claimed that three of its workers had been killed in a fresh escalation of violence in the state.

"Shocking and tragic incidents send shockwaves through the voting community. Three of our party workers have been murdered in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram and two have been left wounded from gunshots in Domkol," the TMC took to Twitter to say.

Shocking and tragic incidents send shockwaves through the voting community.

Three of our party workers have been murdered in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram and two have been left wounded from gunshots in Domkol.

The @BJP4Bengal, @CPIM_WESTBENGAL and @INCWestBengal have been…

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 8, 2023

The ruling party also pointed fingers at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and CPI(M) – which had been demanding the deployment of Central forces in the state for the Panchayat polls.

"The @BJP4Bengal @CPIM_WESTBENGAL and @INCWestBengal have been clamouring for the deployment of Central Forces. So, where are the Central Forces when they are needed the most? This signals a colossal failure on their part to ensure the safety and security of the people, before the polls have even commenced!" the party added.

West Bengal has been witness to widespread violence since panchayat polls in the state were announced on 8 June. Fifteen people, including a teenager, were killed amid political clashes and dozens more injured, according to PTI.

Why Are the WB Panchayat Polls So Significant?

The elections are of immense significance as they will serve as a litmus test to gauge the mood of the public ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Further, success in the panchayat polls will help parties mobilise voters at the grassroots level in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

Hence, all the major political parties in West Bengal – the TMC, BJP, Congress, and the Left – have been pouring in considerable resources for a verdict in their favour.

While the TMC swept the 2018 panchayat and 2021 Assembly elections, several challenges to its power have emerged since then. The party has been at the centre of several controversies, including the alleged Staff Selection Commission (SSC), coal, and cattle-smuggling scams.

The results of the panchayat polls will be declared on Tuesday, 11 July.

(With inputs from The Indian Express, ANI, PTI and India Today.)