Poll nominations end on violent note: Two killed in Bhangar, one in Chopra

Bijayganj Bazar, located adjacent to the nomination centre and the epicentre of violence, was set on fire despite a large number of police presence in the area. Several vehicles were also set on fire by armed men. A body was seen lying on the road, which was later taken away by the police.

“Two of our party workers have been killed and four others injured. I have covered my face to hide from TMC men. I will not go back to my house. I don’t want to die,” said Kutumuddin Molla of the ISF after filing nomination at the BDO office on Thursday.

The lone ISF MLA, Naushad Siddiqui, alleged: “TMC supporters snatched nomination files of our candidates in front of the police. The state police are incompetent to handle the situation.”

A CPI(M) member, Giyasuddin Molla, said he was stopped from filing nomination. “I was brutally beaten up. They snatched my documents, including my Aadhaar car,” he said.

While the deadline for filing nomination papers was 3 pm, it continued till late in the night in Bhangar on the directions of the Calcutta High Court after it took note of the violence there.

In Chopra, CPI(M) worker Mansur Alam was killed as a group and Left and Congress supporters came under gun firing while they were heading towards the BDO office to file their nomination papers. Two others, who sustained bullet injuries in the attack, are critical and admitted to Islampur sub-district hospital.

“We were going to submit nominations in a group at the BDO office when we were attacked by  TMC supporters. We were also beaten up,” one of the injured told reporters from the hospital.

TMC MLA from Chopra, Hamidul Rahman, denied the charge and claimed that the violence was a result of “infighting” in the Opposition parties. “None of our workers or supporters went to the place where the incident took place. They (workers of the Opposition parties) fought among themselves… The Opposition is creating drama to get sympathy,” the TMC MLA said.

Taking note of the deaths, Governor CV Ananda Bose said there will be “effective and concrete action”. “No words, only action. Just wait and watch,” the Governor added.

“Goons, hooligans, musclemen, lumpen and crash elements… shall not be allowed to rule the roost. When the fourth estate is under attack it means the democracy is under attack… It means the Constitution is under attack… This game of shaitan (devil) should end, will end. The beginning of the end will be in West Bengal,” he said, citing reports of attacks on journalists.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denied allegations against the TMC of using violence to stop the Opposition from filing nominations.

Speaking to reporters at an event in Diamond Harbour, the TMC supremo said that violence during panchayat polls was not new. Raising the killing of 36 people under the Left regime in 2003, she said, “Rural polls are so localised that even three-four members from the same family are contesting elections… Opposition parties are trying to create disturbance by orchestrating violence while filing nominations. They are doing it to tarnish the state’s image.”

Mamata specifically referred to the Bhangar violence as well, accusing the Opposition of indulging in vandalism and of trying to incite people by raising communal slogans.

Compared to other states, the CM said, West Bengal was peaceful. “We have seen incidents in Uttar Pradesh and Tripura where the Opposition was not even allowed to contest the elections. In Tripura, 90% of the seats were won uncontested. This is not the case with Bengal.”

Leaders of Congress and CPI(M) blamed the ruling TMC and state government for the violence. “People are being shot for filing nominations. What can be worse than this? The state government is fully responsible for the death,” West Bengal Congress unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

Sporadic incidents of violence have marred the nomination process for the three-tier panchayat elections despite prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC being in place since Monday near the premises of nomination centres.

Polling for nearly 75,000 seats in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system will be held on July 8 with the counting of votes scheduled for July 11.