The panchayat polls were held in West Bengal on Saturday, July 8. During the elections, absolute lawlessness and anarchy were on display as several incidents of violence were reported from the state. On Sunday, July 9, three ballot boxes were found abandoned in a drain in Murshidabad after violence erupted there earlier. A local said that because of the ongoing tension and reports of threats from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), people were reluctant to step out of their homes.
“The situation is not good after the elections, the general public is also not coming out due to fear. The general public is in panic. If anyone comes out, TMC threatens,” a local resident said.
Meanwhile, a bombing incident transpired in Hiranandpur in Samsherganj police station precinct of Murshidabad. Independent candidate supporters and supporters of Trinamool Congress are at odds in the area. A clash broke out on Sunday between Trinamool and independent supporters in the Murshidabad neighbourhood of Hiranandpur, which is under the jurisdiction of Samsherganj police station.
The panchayat elections held on July 8 in West Bengal were marred by widespread violence across the state. Reports emerged of booth capturing, damage to ballot boxes, and attacks on presiding officers from districts such as Murshidabad, Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, and Nadia. Tragically, the violence resulted in the loss of over 30 lives and numerous injuries.
The State Election Commission had established a total of 61,636 polling stations for conducting elections to 3,317 Gram panchayats, 341 panchayat samitis, and 20 zila parishads in West Bengal. To ensure the safe conduct of elections, 59,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces and other state police forces were entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the polling stations, including the 4,834 sensitive booths where only CAPFs were deployed.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on Sunday said that Trinamool Congress (TMC) changed the ‘Ballot Box’ in West Bengal’s Malda. “TMC’s change ‘Ballot Box’ operation caught in Malda,” Amit Malviya said in a tweet.
He further said that TMC workers were caught red-handed, changing ballot boxes in several places, with the help of contractors and local administration, before they could reach the strong rooms.