Kolkata, July 08: Where there are elections in Bengal, there is bloodshed! At least nine people were killed and properties were damaged in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state.
BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district. The BJP alleged that when 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.
Apart from the BJP leader killing, the supporter of an Independent candidate died in Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district after he was beaten up overnight, police said.
The BJP slammed the TMC for the violence.
“BJP polling agent Madhav Biswas murdered at Coochbehar’s Falimari, West Bengal. Is this why CM @MamataOfficial was opposing the deployment of the central forces so that her goons have free run to murder opposition karyakartas?” BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar tweeted.
“Bloodshed in West Bengal in Panchayat Election. TMC candidate killed an independent Muslim candidate in North 24, Parganas dist. TMC knows only language of violence, murder and booth capturing. CM @MamataOfficial along with @CEOWestBengal is responsible for these murders,” he said in another tweet.
Claiming that democracy is dead in West Bengal, Majumdar said polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Cooch Behar, was vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire.
BJP IT-cell head Amit Malviya shared a video and tweeted, “Bomb’s hurled around polling stations in Bengal’s Murshidabad. WB police, it seems, has been told not to act. There is no semblance of free and fair poll… SEC and WB Govt are in contempt of Court’s directions. They haven’t deployed CAPF, despite force being stationed in Bengal…”
“Bodies are dropping like pins in Bengal. The wave of political violence, unleashed in the run up to Panchayat polls, continues unabated. Mamata Banerjee, as Home Minister of WB, is squarely responsible for this. WB Govt, in collusion with SEC, have denied people right to vote…,” he added.
Malviya alleged that the West Bengal panchayat election has been reduced to a farce. The SEC and local police have intentionally mishandled the deployment of CAPF, he added. “SEC was always reluctant to deploy CAPF. Despite Court orders, civic volunteers are being used, there are no CCTV cameras, no recordings… Several thousand booths have inadequate security arrangement… SEC is facilitating capture of booths by TMC goons,” he tweeted.
Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in at least two polling booths, they added. The polling began at 7am 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. Till 9 am, 10.26 per cent voter turnout was recorded.
Governor CV Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence and interacted with voters.
