West Bengal panchayat elections: Counting begins amid tight security
The counting of votes for West Bengal's panchayat elections started at 8:00am on Tuesday in 339 counting venues across 22 districts of the state in the presence of security forces and CCTV cameras. The results will determine the representatives for nearly 74,000 seats. Since the polls were announced on June 8, political violence in the state has resulted in 42 deaths.
Why does this story matter?
These elections have been labeled the semifinal for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP is trying to cement its foothold in the state after the TMC defeated it in the 2021 WB Assembly elections. Notably, 12 people were killed on the polling day of the previous panchayat elections in 2018.
Initial trends show TMC leading in most seats
Initial trends showed the TMC was leading in the majority of seats. One company of the central and state armed forces has been deployed at every counting center. Meanwhile, an explosion was reported at a counting booth in Diamond Harbor around 9:00am. In the 2018 elections, the TMC won 34% of the seats uncontested. Reportedly, it also won numerous seats uncontested in this election.
Will curse the day they were born: Governor
Commenting on the violence in Bengal, Governor CV Ananda Bose said, "There will be a relentless fight against growing violence in Bengal. Those who commit violence...will be made to curse the day they are born. All authorities will come down with a heavy hand on the goons and lawbreakers." On Monday, he met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and apprised him of the situation.
Repolling ordered after allegations of vote tampering
The polling was first conducted on Saturday (July 8), which recorded a voter turnout of 69.85%. In a string of political murders, 18 people were killed on the day amid reports of booth capturing. Following allegations of vote tampering, a repoll was held on Monday in 696 booths in 19 districts. The event saw four more deaths, raising the death toll to 42.
TMC's Sougata Roy blames SEC for violence
Saying that violence and killings have no place in a democracy, TMC MP Sougata Roy held the State Election Commission (SEC) responsible for failing to contain the violence. Among those killed on the polling day, 11 were associated with the TMC, reported Outlook. The BJP has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee, including BJP MPs Ravi Shankar Prasad and Satyapal Singh, to probe the matter.
Pre-planned genocide: Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
Separately, state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury petitioned the Calcutta High Court, seeking compensation for the victims of the poll violence. He accused the SEC of colluding with the TMC to carry out a "pre-planned genocide" and sought an investigation into the matter by an independent agency. He claimed that despite an HC order, there was no central paramilitary force in 80% of booths.
