Tensions have gripped Bengal but once more amid ongoing panchayat polls within the state. Violent clashes have resulted in at the very least eight deaths and left many injured. Earlier on Saturday, July 8, polling started amid heavy safety from Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF).
Governor CV Ananda Bose has taken inventory of the scenario on the bottom amid rampant violence largely in Coochbehar, Murshidabad, and North 24 Paraganas districts.
He stated, “I have been in the field right from the morning…People requested me, stopped my motorcade on the way. They told me about the murders happening around them, told me about the goons not allowing them to go to the polling booths…It should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy…Election must be through ballots and not bullets..”
#WATCH | North 24 Parganas | West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose says, “I’ve been within the subject proper from the morning…People requested me, stopped my motorcade on the way in which. They advised me concerning the murders occurring round them, advised me concerning the goons not permitting them to go to… pic.twitter.com/HHokbsgiAg
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
A polling sales space Baravita Primary School in Sitai at Coochbehar was vandalised and poll papers had been set ablaze. Wooden chairs and tables had been toppled and set on fireplace, torn poll papers may very well be seen mendacity across the room crammed with smoke.
#WATCH | Polling sales space at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Coochbehar vandalised and poll papers set on fireplace. Details awaited.
Voting for Panchayat elections in West Bengal started at 7 am as we speak. pic.twitter.com/m8ws7rX5uG
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
In one other incident forward of the polls, a home in Murshidabad was vandalised and set on fireplace a day earlier than polling on Friday as TMC and Congress employees traded blows.
House in Murshidabad vandalised (Source: ANI)
The Trinamool Congress has alleged that three of its celebration employees have been killed in Rejinagarm, Tufanganj, and Khargram. On the opposite hand, polling agent of a BJP candidate has additionally been killed in an assault by hooligans, on a polling sales space in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar. The candidate is admitted to a hospital after sustaining accidents at the same time as voting has been suspended on the sales space.
The BJP candidate Maya Barman stated, “TMC goons hurled a bomb at my agent and killed him. They also attacked me.”
West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Madhav Vishwas, the polling agent of a BJP candidate (in image) killed in an assault by hooligans, on a polling sales space in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar. The candidate is admitted to a hospital after sustaining accidents, voting suspended… pic.twitter.com/E947kWmmVj
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
In Kholakhali, the BJP has stated that the TMC is looting ballots brazenly. Bengal BJP President Dr Sukanta Majumdar shared a video on Twitter displaying the identical at sales space No. 44 and 45 in Kholakhali.
TMC hooliganism has crossed all the boundaries and is now stifling democracy by looting Ballots brazenly within the West Bengal Panchayat elections.
This is a video from sales space No . 44 & 45 of the Kholakhali, Nurpur Panchayat. @ECISVEEP @MamataOfficial @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/N6q4CQ1m88
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) July 8, 2023
The sales space agent of an impartial candidate has additionally been killed in Pirgachha of North 24 Parganas district following which protests had been staged by the villagers alleging that the husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi is behind the homicide.
#WATCH | West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Abdullah, the sales space agent of an impartial candidate killed in Pirgachha of North 24 Parganas district. Villagers stage a protest and demand the arrest of the accused and allege that the husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi is behind the… pic.twitter.com/XHu1Rcpv6j
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
A 52-year-old TMC employee, Sateshuddin Sheikh was killed in Khargram, Murshidabad. A Congress employee named Phoolchand was killed in the identical space through the nomination course of for the Panchayat election.
TMC employee Sateshuddin Sheikh killed in Khargram.
Residents of Nandigram Block 1 of Purba Medinipur district boycotted the election owing to no safety presence and accused the TMC of capturing cubicles. A voter, Govind stated, “There is no Central force here. Booth capturing keeps happening here by TMC. They do bogus voting even in the name of the deceased. We won’t allow voting here unless Central forces come here…”
#WATCH | West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Residents of Nandigram Block 1 of Purba Medinipur district say that they’re boycotting the election till Central forces are deployed at sales space numbers 67 & 68 in Mahammadpur No. 2 space.
A voter, Govind says, “There isn’t any Central pressure… pic.twitter.com/biiw5CEdrI
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
The panchayat elections are a precursor to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress within the state which has come underneath heavy fireplace for the decaying regulation & order scenario.
Voting on a complete of 63,229 gram panchayat seats; 9,730 panchayat samiti seats; and 928 zilla parishad seats is underway. The counting of votes shall be on eleventh July.
