Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 8: In one of the bloodiest panchayat elections so far, at least 12 persons were killed as rural West Bengal went to vote for the crucial three-tier panchayat polls on Saturday which the political parties believed was the litmus test for the 2024 parliamentary elections and could reshape the state’s political landscape.
Considering the political significance of the grass-root level elections in the state, large-scale irregularities and violence was reported during the polling for the panchayat polls as soon as the voting began at 7 a.m. There were incessant reports of snatching of ballot papers and clashes started coming since the morning.
Even as all the opposition parties blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress for the violence, among those killed were seven supporters of the Trinamool Congress, two each from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one from the Congress.
There were reports of violence and killings from all across the State. Four deaths were reported in Murshidabad district, two from Cooch Behar and Purba Bardhaman districts and one each from Nadia, Uttar Dinajpur and South 24 Parganas districts, officials said.
Violence was reported from Rejinagar, Lalgola, Nowda and Khargram in Murshidbad. Two Trinamool Congress supporters also sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district. A BJP polling agent was killed in Cooch Behar. A Trinamool Congress supporter was killed at Basanti in South 24 Parganas when he had queued up to cast his vote. A Trinamool Congress candidate was killed at Chakulia in Uttar Dinajpur when he visited a polling booth. CPI(M) supporters were killed at Ausgram in Purba Bardhaman district and Lalgola in Murshidabad.
The ruling Trinamool Congress alleged a “colossal failure” on the part of central forces tasked with security. Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in several parts of the state,
Voting began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people picking between 2.06 lakh candidates for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samitis, and 63,229 gram panchayats seats. Till 1 pm, 36.66 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
There were apprehensions of large-scale violence on polling day across political circles. The Calcutta High Court had intervened and asked the State Election Commission to deploy Central forces not less than those deployed in the 2013 panchayat polls. Despite the orders of the Calcutta High Court that Central forces be deployed outside every polling booth, at several places in the State, there was no deployment of Central forces outside the polling booths.
The reason for non-deployment of central forces outside many polling booths was said to be non-availability of adequate central forces. The State Election Commission, following the Calcutta High Court order, had sought 822 companies of Central forces but by Saturday morning only 649 companies of forces could arrive in the State. Sources said the remaining forces could not reach the State on time because of the delay on the part of the SEC to requisition the forces and non-availability of adequate transport facilities. The remaining forces are likely to reach the State after voting ends on Saturday evening.
State Election Commisioner Rajiva Sinha said the Commission could deploy Central forces in only 15,000 polling booths which is one fourth of the booths that went to the polls. Sinha said the Commission had received about 1,200 to 1,300 complaints of which 600 were resolved. Polling was scheduled at 61,636 polling booths in the State but at various places, it had to be suspended because of violence or attacks on polling personnel and snatching of ballot boxes.
For the first time, the Raj Bhavan played an active role in addressing the issue of poll violence, with Governor CV Ananda Bose opening a “Peace Home” at his official residence to address complaints of people. On Saturday, the Governor visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence and interacted with voters.
“This is the most sacred day for a democracy… Election must be through ballots and not bullets,” said Dr. Bose. The Governor added that he had been in the field right from the morning and people stopped his motorcade and told him about the widespread violence. “They told me about the goons not allowing them to go to the polling booths. It should cause concern to all of us,” he said, urging people to come out and exercise their franchise.
On Friday, Dr. Bose was in Murshidabad, where large-scale violence have been reported. The district has accounted for the highest number of deaths in political violence since the process of the panchayat polls began. Reacting to the death of party workers, the Trinamool Congress also raised questions about the lack of Central security forces. “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!,” Trinamool Congress tweeted from its official handles.
CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field, tweeting, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour.”
Incidents of rigging, snatching of ballot papers and pouring water on the ballot boxes were also reported at various places in the State. Ballot boxes were set on fire at a polling booth at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district. Chaos and pandemonium outside polling booths was seen in different parts of the State and polling agents were also not spared. At one place in Cooch Behar a man was seen running with a ballot box.
Sharing a video on Twitter, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that ballot boxes were set ablaze at a booth in Coochbehar district with poll officials having fled the scene. Incidents of isolating and confining supporters of the Opposition came from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas where Indian Secular Front candidates were confined in their houses. Miscreants with batons and firearms were seen on the streets in different rural habitations that went to the polls. Incidents of crude bombs attacks were also reported from various parts of the State. Since the day the polls were announced on June 8, widespread violence have been reported from across Bengal. Fifteen people including a teenager have died in the pre-poll violence.
The TMC accused the opposition of instigating violence and criticised the central forces for their failure to protect the voters. “@BJP4India, @CPIM_WESTBENGAL and @INCWestBengal must be enjoying their front row seats in this theatre of death and mass destruction. The tragic deaths of two of our party workers in Basanti and Katwa highlight the incompetence of Central Forces who have been nothing but mute spectators. Is this how you celebrate democracy?” the party wrote on Twitter.
Cutting across ideological lines, all parties in West Bengal on Saturday condemned the killing of people in the panchayat elections while the BJP called for President’s Rule in the state.
State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury alleged that TMC goons are having a free run and people’s mandate has been looted. Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi said he made a representation to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking an urgent hearing of a prayer seeking that Saturday’s panchayat elections in West Bengal be declared null and void on account of violence and killings.