13 killed in Bengal as violence, booth capturing mark Panchayat elections

Polling began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in rural areas of the state, with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates. The seats going to polls are for gram panchayat (63,229), panchayat samiti (9,730) and zilla parishad (928). At least 600 companies of central forces had been deployed along with 70,000 state police personnel.

According to the State Election Commission, 68.28% polling was recorded till 5 pm, when polls closed, though the figure could go up as several people were still in queue at the booths. In 2018, the turnout was 82%.

As reports of violence and arson poured in, Governor CV Ananda Bose urged state election commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha to discharge his constitutional duties. In the evening, Sinha refused to give a direct response on the overall outcome of the panchayat elections, but said, “Reports are still being sent (from the districts). Once we get all the reports, we can comment on the election process.”

Earlier in the day, Sinha had assured he would look into complaints of ballot boxes being looted and votes being tampered with. He said the most number of complaints regarding violence came from a few districts, and this would be taken into account while reviewing the poll process.

“A decision on re-polling would be taken on Sunday when observers and returning officers scrutinise and review the polling process. I have been getting information (of violence) since last night. Calls were directly made to me as well as to the control room. The maximum number of such incidents on Saturday were reported from three to four districts like North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad,” he said in the afternoon.

“Tomorrow there will be detailed scrutiny. Re-polling will be held at booths where the maximum violence was reported and where polling could not happen or was stopped. That is the reason the day after polling is kept for scrutiny,” he said.

Sinha said that officially, there were three deaths during Saturday’s polling.

The opposition BJP said that the TMC was behind the violence and malpractice and the SEC had failed to hold the polls in a free and fair manner. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari demanded that President’s Rule be imposed.

“West Bengal is burning and the Central government should intervene with Article 355 or Article 356 (President’s Rule). More than 20,000 booths have been captured by hooligans of the ruling party in the presence of police. This is nothing but murder of democracy. CAPF is non-functioning due to non-cooperation of the district police. They have not been utilised properly,” said Adhikari.

The party’s state president, Sukanta Majumdar, said BJP national president J P Nadda had asked him to submit a detailed report on the violence. “The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked for a report. Central leaders are shocked to see such incidents of violence and electoral malpractices,” said Majumdar.

The Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, questioned where the Central forces brought in for the elections were. “Shocking incidents are being reported since last night. BJP, CPI(M) and Congress had colluded, demanding Central forces. Where are they deployed? TMC workers are being murdered. Where are the Central forces?” asked state minister Shashi Panja.

The party also alleged that at a border village in Cooch Behar’s Gitaldaha, BSF personnel had attempted to create chaos and disrupt the poll process.

CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim, meanwhile, shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in a field and tweeted, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. This pic is from Diamond Harbour.”

Reports of deaths in poll-related violence started coming in from the morning itself.

Among the dead was BJP polling agent Madhab from Cooch Behar district. He was allegedly shot inside a polling station. Another youth, Chiranjit Karjee, was also allegedly shot dead in the same district.

CPM worker Rajibul Haque, who was critically injured the previous evening following a clash between workers of two parties in East Burdwan district, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Kolkata on Saturday morning. Another CPM worker, Roshan Ali, was killed in Lalgola in Murshidabad district while standing outside a polling booth.

Trinamool supporter Amzad Hossain was allegedly hacked to death in Nadia district’s Chapra area, while another party worker, Anisur Ostagar, was killed in a blast at a polling queue in South 24 Parganas district.

Three persons were killed in Murshidabad district. Among them was Yasin Sheikh, who was hit by a crude bomb explosion. The body of TMC worker Sabiruddin Sheikh was recovered from a vacant land in the morning, with police saying he had been hacked to death. A Congress worker, Haji Niyakat Ali, also died in the district in a crude bomb explosion.

Malek Sheikh, the brother of a TMC leader, was killed in a clash in Malda district, police said, while TMC candidate Mohammad Sahenshah was hacked to death in North Dinajpur district.

The TMC also alleged one of its workers, Goutam Roy, was killed outside a polling booth in East Burdwan district.

Another death was reported from Goalpokhar in North Dinajpur in the evening – a Congress worker identified as Jamaruddin Sheikh was hacked to death, taking the day’s toll to 13.

In Cooch Behar district’s Dinhata, ballot boxes were allegedly vandalised and ballot papers set on fire at a booth in Baravita Govt Primary School. At another booth in the Barnachina, locals torched a ballot box, alleging tampering by TMC workers.

Protests were also held in various areas demanding the deployment of Central forces. In Nandigram, women voters gheraoed a police officer with bottles of poison in their hands, threatening to kill themselves unless Central forces were brought in.