Counting is underway in the Bengal Panchayat Polls, which has had a bloody run.
West Bengal: Counting of votes for #PanchayatElection has started in Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Malda districts of North Bengal
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2018
Yesterday, unidentified gunmen were seen escaping with ballot box from polling booth in Malda’s Ratua.
#WATCH: Unidentified miscreants escape with a ballot box from polling booth no. 76 in Malda’s Ratua also brandish a gun. The person who shot the video claimed that he was later threatened by the miscreants #PanchayatElections #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/9t2wdUuGI9
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2018
Earlier on Tuesday night, Rajkumar Roy, Presiding officer deputed in Raniganj was kidnapped on duty from polling booth and later found murdered near railway booth near railway track.
Rajkumar Roy, Presiding officer deputed in Raiganj, West Bengal for Panchayat election. He was kidnapped on duty from polling booth and found murdered near railway track later. #SaveBengal pic.twitter.com/fYqkzpnQpu
— BJP Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) May 16, 2018
The bloodshed during the run up to the Panchayat Polls left everyone shocked, especially when Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien even tried to defend the violence by claiming how number of murders have come down. Earlier, BJP worker had died after allegedly being thrashed by TMC goons. The BJP had also accused the ruling TMC of using violence in order to prevent its candidates from filing nominations for the Panchayat polls in the state.
The panchayat polls are crucial for TMC as they are being seen as a warm up to the 2019 elections where Mamata is eyeing the top post. 40 of the West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha seats are located in the districts went to the polls on Monday.
