At least twelve people were reportedly killed and several others were injured after violent clashes broke out between rival groups during the panchayat elections currently being held in West Bengal. Around 73 per cent of voting was recorded till 5 pm, IANS reported.
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Reports of clashes and booth capturing were received from pockets of South 24 Parganas, West Midnapore and Cooch Behar districts. In South 24 Parnagas’ Bhangar, the ‘Jomi, Jibika, Bastutantra O Poribesh Raksha Committee’ accused armed miscreants of Trinamool Congress of kidnapping their Panchayat Samiti candidate Sariful Mullick and terrorising the voters.
In North Dinajpur, three crude bombs were found near a polling booth at Galaisura, around three km from the district headquarters in Raiganj, police said. Of the three bombs, two were found on railway tracks, sources in the Railway Police Force said. Around 71,500 armed personnel have been deployed to keep an eye on every booth, reports IANS. Armed forces have also arrived from Assam, Odisha, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh to strengthen security arrangements.
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According to West Bengal State Election Commission, the elections are being held in 622 zila parishads and 6,158 panchayat samitis, besides 31,836 gram panchayats of the state. This is because 16,814 gram panchayat seats, 3,059 panchayat samiti seats and 203 zila parishad were uncontested, the SEC said. Counting of votes will take place on May 17.
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The three-tier state panchayat polls are happening after several delays, amid reports of violence and allegations of the TMC threatening the Opposition. With the TMC winning 34 per cent of the panchayat seats “uncontested”, 1,15,611 candidates (the TMC’s 31,709, the BJP’s 22,637 the CPM’s 16,699) are in the fray for the remaining.
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The State Election Commission said the polling percentage was 73 at the end of voting hours, though the numbers would go up since 4.5 lakh voters were still queued up across the state, IANS reported.
Polling ends in West Bengal.
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CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury dismissed TMC leader Derek O'Brien's remarks that violence occurred during the Left rule too, saying had it been true, Mamata Banerjee would never have come to power in the state. "This itself shows that they are defensive and guilty. Media is showing what is happening. If this was happening during Left Front rule, then the TMC government would never have come in Bengal and the chief minister would not have been the chief minister of Bengal," the CPI(M) general secretary told reporters. He added, "First they didn't allow people to file nominations. Second after filing nominations, TMC started threatening the candidates to withdraw. The people who didn't withdraw they were attacked. This is nothing but a complete destruction of democratic process. We do not support president's rule. CPI(M) would answer it back democratically. And that democratic resistance has begun and that what would be our answer."
A Home Ministry official said the state government has been told to provide a detailed report on the circumstances leading to the violence and the steps taken to restore peace and punish those involved in the violence. Despite massive security arrangements, 12 people have been killed so far.
According to news agency ANI, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from the West Bengal government on incidents of violence during the elections.
Voters queue at Kakrajhor in West Midnapore on Monday. (Express photo by Subham Dutta)
As the opposition continued to train its guns on the Mamata Banerjee-led government over the increasing violence in the ongoing West Bengal Panchayat elections, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien listed the number of deaths that took place since the 1990s and accused the CPI(M) and BJP of “deliberately trying to foment trouble”.
BJP National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya accused the "TMC goons" of capturing booths, and thereby, disrupting polling in several areas. "TMC goons have taken over polling booths in several areas. There is an immediate need to save Bengal," he tweeted.
CPI(M) politbureau member Mohammad Salim also condemned the violence in West Bengal and called the electoral process a "farce". He tweeted, "Large scale violence during Panchayat Elections in WB. Witness the rape and killing of Democracy by the Jungle Raj of @MamataOfficial & TMC. The whole electoral process has become a farce. The people of Bengal will come out on the streets to protest this authoritarianism."
Surjya Kanta Mishra, secretary of West Bengal CPI(M) state committee, tweeted, "Nobody should have any illusion of having free and fair election in Bengal in TMC rule or BJP can resist this onslaught on democracy. Only the people united against both the evils is invincible. To build a revolutionary party with mass line is the main task."
Ballot boxes were looted at gunpoint by unidentified people at polling booths numbered 44, 45 and 45K booths in Murshidabad, reports ANI.
41.51 per cent voter turnout recorded till 1 pm in West Bengal, reports ANI.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has said the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) will be seen as complicit in the ruling TMC' "project of destroying democracy" if it does not act to restore faith in the electoral process. The CPI(M) will fight alongside the people to restore democracy and normalcy, Yechury added as reports came in of one person being killed and several people being injured in violence in several districts during panchayat polls in the state. "The Election Commission of West Bengal must act to restore faith in the process. Else it will be seen as complicit in TMC's project of destroying democracy. Allowing TMC to get away with throttling democracy has implications well beyond West Bengal," Yechury said on Twitter.
-PTI
Two other deaths have been reported in violent clashes taking place in West Bengal since morning. This development takes the death toll till now to six.
Not surprised by all the incidents that are happening since morning. Bengal governmemt is a shameless government, you cannot expect them to follow any kind of constitutional behaviour. I demand President's Rule in WB, ANI quotes Union Minister Babul Supriyo as saying.
At least four people have lost their lives in the violent clashes that erupted soon after the polling began at 7 am this morning acorss Bengal. Two people have been reported to be killed in Kakdweep in South 24 Parganas, one in Amdanga in North 24 Parganas. No information ye about the fourth casualty. However, the death toll has still not been confirmed by the police.
After a CPI (M) worker and his wife were allegedly burnt to death by Trinamool Congress activists in North 24 Parganas, the party in a letter to the State Election Commissioner has called for immediate intervention in the West Bengal panchayat elections. Accusing the state polling body of failing to conduct free and fair elections, the letter read, “The District Election Officer is a mute spectator of the festival of butchering the democracy and a large section of police administration are directly or indirectly shielding the armed goons.” READ MORE
26.28 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in the ongoing Panchayat polls in West Bengal, reports ANI.
Highly condemnable and deplorable, it signifies that culture of political violence under TMC has engulfed entire West Bengal and it is an alarming sign for democracy, ANI quotes BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi as saying.
A TMC worker named Arif Gazi shot dead in Kultali area of South 24 Parganas district, reports ANI.
At least 20 people have been injured after a crude bomb exploded in Amdanga's Sadhanpur in North 24 Parganas, reports ANI.
Reports of violence have been received from North 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Coochbehar and South 24 Parganas districts. In Burdwan district, opposition CPI(M) and BJP accused the TMC of terrorising voters and hurling bombs outside polling stations. However, the TMC termed the allegations as baseless.
In Birbhum, masked men carrying weapons and sticks were seen intimidating voters outside some of the booths. In the Bhangar area of the same district, police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a crowd, following clashes, the official said. The SEC has asked the police to submit a report regarding the incident.
-PTI
Over 11 per cent polling was recorded till 9 am in the panchayat polls currently underway. The rural polls are marked by sporadic incidents of violence in which several people were injured on Monday, SEC officials said.
Reportedly, one person was killed and three others were injured in South Dinajpur district's Tapan area after a bomb was hurled outside a polling station. The police are yet to confirm the death. "We have received a report that four persons were injured. Out of them, one has died. The district police superintendent is yet to confirm the death," an SEC official said.
The official said that 11.93 per cent polling was recorded till 9 am. Less than three hours after polling began, the State Election Commission (SEC) received complaints of violence from several districts. It has asked the police to take action, SEC officials said.
-PTI
Uttar Ghazipur booths 100 and 102 located in Uttar Ghazipur Jamadarpukur Prathmik Vidyalaya, the area's primary school, were allegedly captured during the morning clashes. An eyewitness said that as soon as the voting began at 7 am, there was a clash between two groups - one belonging to the JJPOBC and the other to TMC strongman Arabul Islam. According to the eyewitness, they pelted stones at each other. The booth was subsequently captured by the TMC, alleged members of the JJPOBC.The booths allegedly captured by TMC workers fall under Arabul Islam’s son Hakibul Islam’s seat
Members of JJPOBC (Jomi Jibika Poribesh O Bastutantra Andolan Committee) protesting on road that separates Uttar Ghazipur from Machibhanga. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
BJP supporter in Bilkanda severely injured after being attacked with a knife, allegedly by TMC workers, reports ANI. The BJP supporter is presently undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, IMD has predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places in West Bengal.
#WATCH: On being identified, BJP supporter Sujit Kumar Das, was slapped by #WestBengal Minister Rabindra Nath Ghosh (in purple kurta) at Cooch Behar's booth no. 8/12 in presence of Police. #PanchayatElection pic.twitter.com/9S2gyAoNQt— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018
Congress alleges its candidates and the polling agents were thrown out of booth no 239 in Hatinagar by TMC workers and were looted.
Violence reported in Bhangar, a media vehicle has been torched in and a camera has also been broken, reports ANI. The report further said that media personnel are not being allowed to enter the area.
#WestBengal: 20 injured in a clash which broke out between two groups in Cooch Behar . The injured have been taken to MJN hospital for treatment. Locals say, 'We went there to votee but people belonging to TMC attacked us with sticks'. pic.twitter.com/hkHsqcsZa7— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2018
Violence has been reported from various parts of the state as the polling for the single phase panchayat elections is currenlty underway. Within less than two hours after the polling began, the State Election Commission has received complains of violence from at least four districts from different parts the state and has asked the police to take action, SEC officials said.
Violence broke out in North 24 Parganas, Burdwan, Coochbehar and South 24 Parganas districts. SEC sources said that a few people were injured when clashes broke out between two groups.
In Dinhata area of Coochbehar district in North Bengal, a few voters were injured after clashes broke out between two groups outside a polling station, the sources said. The voters later on lodged a police complaint. Violence was reported in Burdwan districts too. The opposition CPI(M) and BJP had accused the TMC of terrorising voters and hurling bombs outside polling stations.
-PTI
People standing in queue outside a polling booth (Express photos by Shubham Dutta)
There are reports that booth number 100 and 102 in Bhangar have been captured by TMC workers. It is also reported that two candidates have been allegedly kidnapped.
Left Front (LF) chairman Biman Bose had earlier said that the single-phase panchayat election in West Bengal would result in “bloodbath”.
Speaking at a ‘meet the press’ event at Press Club on Thursday, Bose had said, “If panchayat polls are held on May 14 and in a single-phase then I feel that the people of the state will witness a historic election because it will result in a bloodbath. It may be recalled that blood was spilled in the state during filing of nominations and we have apprehension that such incidents will be repeated on the polling day. At least steps should have been taken to stop this kind of election.” READ MORE
Polling officials leaving with ballot boxes, along with other document, for their respective polling booths from Baharu high school at South 24 paraganas for today's panchayat polls in the state. (Express photos by Partha Paul/13.05.18)
At least 12 people, including four children, were killed and over 15 injured in different districts of the state after lightning struck them amid heavy rains yesterday, an official of the state disaster management department had said. Five deaths were reported from Howrah district's Uluberia sub-division, while there were two deaths each in Paschim Midnapore, North 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, and one in Murshidabad district, he had added.
-PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday urged people and political parties to not pay heed to canards and "fake videos" and participate peacefully in the panchayat elections. "I urge people as well as all political parties to remain alert and not pay attention to provocations or canards. I appeal to common people to exercise their democratic right and vote peacefully for the development of rural Bengal. The state administration is with them," she had told a news channel.
-PTI