Bengal rural poll violence: Shah dials state BJP chief, TMC slams Governor

The BJP alleged that State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha failed to hold the polls in a free and fair manner. The Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Suvendu Adhikari, demanded that the President’s rule be imposed in the state. “A free and fair election under the state administration is a mirage. It is only possible only if elections are held under President’s Rule or Article 355,” he said.

Later in the evening, Adhikari led a BJP delegation to the SEC office to lodge complaints against the TMC for various electoral malpractices. However, Adhikari could not meet Sinha as the gate leading to his chamber was locked. Enraged by this, Adhikari put a lock at his office’s gate after coming out of it to mark their protest. He demanded repolling in a number of booths. He also asked the state poll panel to ensure that strong rooms are properly video-graphed.

Hitting back, the TMC accused the Opposition of instigating violence and criticised the Central forces for their failure to protect the voters.

Senior TMC leader and state minister Shashi Panja said 14 districts in West Bengal witnessed peaceful election. “The Opposition and the media are claiming that the entire polling exercise in Bengal has been marred with violence, but the truth is far from that. There are 14 districts in Bengal, where the entire election procedure has been smooth. Major incidents of violence have occurred in 9 booths, while minor incidents have taken place in 60-odd booths. The total number of booths across the state stands at 61,539. If we look at the percentage of booths where violence has taken place, the number comes to 0.00097%,” Panja claimed.

On the poll-related deaths, the TMC leader said that most of them are the ruling party’s workers. “Each and every death is extremely painful. Trinamool regrets every single death that has taken place in Bengal. In the run-up to the Panchayat elections, a script was prepared to show Bengal in negative light. This was the plan of the Opposition parties, which Trinamool had condemned even before the poll process began…. Of the total deaths that have taken place during the Panchayat elections, the majority of them are Trinamool workers. If, indeed, Trinamool was instigating the violence, as the ‘biased’ media has been alleging, why would they target their own workers?” Panja asked.

In a statement, the TMC said that 27 people were killed since the Panchayat elections were announced on June 8 and that 17 of them were from the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called up BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar and enquired about the situation in the state in the wake of the poll violence. Majumdar on his part later wrote a letter to Shah, requesting his intervention to restore democracy in the state.

“I am compelled to draw your attention to the fact that the democracy in West Bengal has been strangled to death and free and fair elections are beyond imagination. The Panchayat election 2023 was held in a single phase on 8th July 2023. The whole state witnessed unimaginable wrath of the ruling party where the security forces played the role of an audience,” Majumdar wrote in the letter. He added, “Therefore, I strongly demand intervention of the Central Government so that democracy is restored in West Bengal at the earliest.”

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the election turned into a farce as “TMC goons are having a free run, and people’s mandate has been looted”.

CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim said, “The Central force was not properly mobilised in spite of the High Court order and it was a goof up between Central and state forces,” adding that “it is ultimately the people who have been suffering”.

Salim also shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in a field as he tweeted, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour….” Diamond Harbour is the constituency of senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The TMC dispensation also charged Governor C V Ananda Bose with allegedly “fanning violence”. Bose visited some areas in North 24 Parganas district Saturday to take stock of the law and order situation. Taking a dig at him, Panja charged, “The Governor of West Bengal, meanwhile, has fanned the violence. He has selectively visited victims from the Opposition parties, while the majority of deaths are of Trinamool workers. Has the court given the Governor the responsibility of managing votes? The Governor is delivering political speeches wherever he is going. Why is a nominated person influencing people’s opinion on election day from a position of power? Yet, the media is not asking him any question.”

On his part, condemning the violence, the Governor said: “It should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy… Election must be through ballots and not bullets…”

Amid reports about the absence of the Central forces at some polling booths, Rajiva Sinha sought details in this regard from all the district magistrates.

(With PTI inputs)