Bengal Panchayat Polls: Booths Captured, Ballot Papers Thrown Into Drain As Unrest Intensifies — Ground Report

Reports of booth capturing, ballot boxes being taken away and votes being thrown in the drain continue to come as violence intensifies in Bengal during Panchayat elections.

Security people arrive to intervene after tension between two political groups during panchayat elections in North 24 Pargana district of West Bengal.

Source : PTI

As the day passes and voting gains a little momentum, incidents of booth capturing, and ballot box tampering continue to be reported from different districts in the state despite Central forces deployment. People ran away with ballot boxes from polling booths in Murshidabad and Cooch Behar. On the other hand, voters continue to wait for their turn as the voting process remains slow. In North 24 Praganas, people threw the votes into a drain during a scuffle to snatch ballot boxes from each other. Chaos hit the booth in Murshidabad and CPI leaders blamed the police for mismanagement during the voting.

In Murshidabad only, several voters alleged that they were not allowed to vote and later police brought them to a polling booth so that they can cast their votes. Residents shared their ordeal explaining they ran away from the booth due to violence. Unrest is being reported from polling stations that have been set up in small villages in the state.

#BengalPanchayatElection | मुर्शिदाबाद और कूच बिहार में बूथ पर कब्जा

- कहीं लगाई आग, कहीं बैलेट बॉक्स गायब@manogyaloiwal की ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट@AshishSinghNews | @journosnehlata | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK#WestBengal #PanchayatElection #Election #BoothCapturing pic.twitter.com/Ap1ryEnoq5

— ABP News (@ABPNews) July 8, 2023

Panchayat elections in Bengal have long been in the headlines because of non-stop violence and the killing of party workers. While BJP, TMC, Left and Congress continue to blame each other, the violence also questions the management of central forces deployment. The decision was taken to contain the situation of arson but the ground reality is strikingly different from it.

#BengalPanchayatElection | नॉर्थ 24 परगना में बूथ पर कब्जा, बैलेट बॉक्स से नाली में बहाए वोट@manogyaloiwal की ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट@AshishSinghNews | @journosnehlata | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK#WestBengal #PanchayatElection #Election #BoothCapturing pic.twitter.com/oaYC8dNT8A

— ABP News (@ABPNews) July 8, 2023

Central forces have been deployed across the polling booths and four security personnel can be seen at each booth. To ensure fair voting, only five voters are allowed to enter the booth - five men and five women.

मुर्शिदाबाद के इस बूथ पर वोटिंग के दौरान अफरातफरी, देखिए abp न्यूज संवाददाता @manogyaloiwal की EXCLUSIVE ग्राउंड रिपोर्ट #WestBengalPanchayatElection2023 #TMC #BJP #Murshidabad #WestBengal https://t.co/grl6RTdBOB

— ABP News (@ABPNews) July 8, 2023

This comes as Trinamool Congress, Congress, Left and BJP are continuously accusing each other of repetitive violence in the state. Governor CV Ananda Bose has also visited several areas in the state assuring people that violence will be contained.