West Bengal panchayat elections | Voting underway amid large-scale violence, deaths

From the article:

Large-scale irregularities and violence was reported during the polling for the panchayat polls in West Bengal on Saturday, July 8, 2023.. Voting started for about 7 am and reports of snatching of ballot papers and clashes started coming since the morning.

Despite the orders of the Calcutta High Court that central forces be deployed outside every polling booth, at several places in the State no deployment of central forces outside the polling booths was seen.

Violence was reported from Rejinagar in Murshidbad where a Trinamool Congress supporter was killed. At Khargram in the district another body was found. Two Trinamool Congress supporters sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district.

Governor visits violence-hit areas

Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited parts of violence-affected North 24 Parganas where large scale violence have been reported. The district has accounted to highest number of deaths in political violence since the process of panchayat polls started.

One person was found dead at Sujapur in adjoining Malda district. Violence was reported at various places in Cooch Behar district where one person was allegedly killed in poll-related violence. A supporter of CPI(M) was killed at Ausgram in Purba Bardhaman district.

CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field, tweeting, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour.” At least 600 companies of central forces have been deployed for the elections along with around 70,000 state police.

Ballot boxes set on fire

Incidents of rigging, snatching of ballot papers and pouring waters in the ballot boxes were also reported at various places in the State. Ballot boxes were set on fire at a polling booth at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district. Chaos and pandemonium outside polling booths was seen in different parts of the State and polling agents were also not spared.

Sharing a video on Twitter, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that ballot boxes were set ablaze at a booth in Coochbehar district with poll officials having fled the scene.

Incidents of isolating and confining supporters of Opposition came from Bhangar in South 24 Parganas where Indian Secular Front candidates were confined in their houses. Voters who had queued up to cast their votes sustained bullet injuries at Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur. Miscreants with batons and fire arms were seen on the streets in different rural habitations that went to polls. Incidents of crude bombs attacks was also reported from parts of the State.

Earlier in the morning, long queues outside polling booths were seen as early as 6 am with people turning out early amid the intermittent rains.

About 5.67 crore electors are eligible to exercise their franchise in the elections for 63,239 seats at the gram panchayats, 9,730 panchayat samiti seats and 928 zilla parishad seats.

About 2.06 lakh candidates are in election fray across the State. Trinamool Congress has put up candidates on 71, 938 seats, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put up candidates 46,404 seats and the Communist Party of India ( Marxist) has fielded candidates on 42, 910 seats. The notification for panchayat polls was issued on June 8 and 18 persons have lost their lives in the campaign before the start of polling process on Saturday, July 8, morning.