12 killed in panchayat poll violence as guns and bombs mark day of democracy in Bengal

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.

According to the State Election Commission, about 68.28 per cent 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.

As the situation across the state spiralled out of control, Governor C V Ananda Bose headed out to take stock of the law and order. After visiting a hospital in North 24 Parganas district where some of the injured were admitted, he urged state election commissioner Rajiva Sinha to discharge his constitutional duties.

“I was told that murders are taking place, gunshots are heard, people are being beaten to death. Yes, these are stray cases, but even one case where there is bloodshed should cause concern to all of us. This is a most sacred day for democracy, where the ordinary man in the street is empowered to vote according to the Constitution. Elections should be held without violence. Whenever I have received complaints, I have sent it to the competent authorities – that is, the state election commissioner. In all fairness, I can say I get an instant reply from him. Today I want to tell the people to go out and vote. Please exercise your right. Your vote alone can solve the situation. Vote according to your conscience,” he said.

The opposition BJP tore into the TMC for the violence, and said 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.

BJP national president J P Nadda called the party’s state president Sukanta Majumdar and 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 had started pouring 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.

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 that false voting was done 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 deployed.