Unknown gunmen taking away ballot boxes to death of BJP’s presiding officer, Bengal’s panchayat polls counting begins

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

Counting is underway in the Bengal Panchayat Polls, which has had a bloody run.

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Yesterday, unidentified gunmen were seen escaping with ballot box from polling booth in Malda’s Ratua.

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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.

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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.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia