The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has achieved a resounding victory in the violence-affected Bengal Panchayat polls, delivering a significant boost to the Mamata Banerjee-led party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
TMC Dominates Bengal Panchayat Polls
In a stunning outcome, the TMC emerged victorious in the rural polls of West Bengal, which were marred by violence. The party secured a sweeping win by capturing all 20 Zila Parishads and securing a total of 880 seats in the three-tier panchayat system. In contrast, its closest rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), managed to secure only 31 seats out of a total of 928 seats. The Congress-Left front alliance won 15 seats, while the remaining 2 seats went to other parties.
The TMC also dominated the gram panchayat seats, securing over 35,000 out of the 63,219 available seats. Exact figures were not immediately available as the compilation and dissemination process was incomplete, according to officials.
The BJP, the main opposition party, secured nearly 10,000 seats, while the Left-Congress alliance won approximately 6,000 seats. The panchayat elections, with 73,887 seats at stake, were conducted across 339 venues in 22 districts of the state. Over 2.06 lakh candidates contested in the elections.
Violence Mars the Counting Day
The panchayat elections in Bengal, held on July 8 and 10 (repolling), were marred by widespread violence, including bombings, shootings, and murders. The period between June 8, when the elections were announced, and July 8 witnessed a total of 33 deaths, with over 60% of the fatalities involving TMC members. On July 8 alone, 18 murders were recorded, followed by an additional seven murders in the subsequent three days.
The BJP alleged that its workers in Basanti were subjected to police lathi-charges after celebrating their candidate’s victory, forcing some of them to jump into a nearby pond to escape. The police claimed that they had to take action as they were being targeted with colored powder.
The counting day itself was marked by further unrest, with clashes and bombings reported outside several counting centers, including those in Nandigram, Diamond Harbour, Howrah, and other locations. Incidents of clashes between political workers and security forces were reported from various districts. In one instance, a winning candidate from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] was allegedly attacked after securing victory, even after four rounds of counting. In another incident, a Trinamool polling agent claimed to have been assaulted by supporters of rival parties in Bali. Additionally, a convoy belonging to a BJP MLA was attacked in Bankura’s Shaltora.
Incidents of ballot boxes and papers found in drains were reported in several areas, such as Bali and Bankura. In Bali, a Trinamool polling agent sustained serious injuries while attempting to retrieve ballot papers from a drain, allegedly after being assaulted by CPI(M) candidates. In Habra, miscreants were observed fleeing with ballot papers in their hands. In Bishnupur, Anoop Pailan, the Zilla Parishad candidate of the BJP, was seriously injured in a clash.
A video also surfaced showing state police and central forces fleeing from a counting center in Khandaghosh, Purba Bardhaman, as they were chased by supporters of a political party wielding sticks and stones.
Strong Response to Violence
In response to the violence witnessed during the counting day, Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose issued a stern warning, expressing an unwavering commitment to combating the growing violence in the state. He declared that those who perpetrate violence will come to regret the day they were born, and the authorities will take strict action against troublemakers and lawbreakers.
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