In the morning hours of the 8th of July 2023, polling for Panchayat elections started in West Bengal amid heavy security from Central Reserve Police Forces (CRPF). The elections have witnessed large-scale violence, with several cases of murders, booth capturing, and various other kinds of violence.
While some reports have claimed that the death count has crossed 36, there are reports of countless incidences of violence, arson, armed men threatening the general voters, and miscreants stealing away ballot boxes.
BJP’s Bengal unit has shared a video in which some goons can be seen brandishing guns and pelting stones. Along with the purported video, the main opposition party has claimed that around 36 people have lost their lives in the ongoing Panchayat elections in the state.
In a video shared by BJP’s Bengal Unit and there are some additional videos doing round on social media, where some miscreants can be seen running away with purported ballot boxes.
Some residents of Dhamsa in Hooghly allegedly threw two ballot boxes in a pond after a scuffle broke out between TMC and BJP workers at a polling booth. Additionally, the residents allege that Central forces were not deployed at the polling centre.
Similar instances of destruction or tampering with ballot boxes were reported in several parts of the state. As per ANI, voting was suspended at the Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata after some miscreants pour water into the ballot box here.
In areas of the Cooch Behar district, a few Ballot boxes at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata were set on fire allegedly by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on there.
In a few other videos, some miscreants have been seen allegedly hurling crude bombs.
BJP State President Dr. Sukanta Majumdar has shared a video in which Police officials are recovering a ballot box from a drain in North 24 Pargana district.
As per ANI, incidences of stone pelting and hurling of crude bombs were reported at booth numbers 25 and 26 in the Nagharia area of English Bazar in Malda district.
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary accused the TMC of unleashing a rain of terror.
He said, “The ruling party’s incoherence with the police administrations…has unleashed a rain of terror in an unprecedented way, which has taken a toll on 26 people, and hundreds of people are fatally injured have been admitted to the hospital already. The political and electoral environment in Bengal has been of violence. It is a travesty of panchayat elections and virtually it is an example of electoral depredations.”
West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said, “This is not an election, this is death. There is a fire of violence across the state. Central forces have not been deployed. CCTVs are not operating. This is not voting but loot. This is the collusion of TMC goons and Police and that is why so murders are happening.”
The leader of the Opposition further claimed that the governor made the biggest mistake by appointing Rajiva Sinja. He also urged the Central government to intervene either with Article 355 or 356.
Earlier in the day, Bengal BJP President Majumdar shared a video on Twitter alleging that TMC goons are openly looting ballots at booth No. 44 and 45 in Kholakhali.
There are many more videos reflecting the sorry state of affairs in West Bengal but these videos of politically motivated violence are too disturbing and heart-wrenching to be shared.