'This Isn't Election, This Is Death': Suvendu Adhikari Says Central Forces Not Deployed Amid Panchayat Poll Violence

Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari claimed that the central forces were not deployed anywhere as incidents of violence and killings were reported from various parts of the state.

Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari claims central forces were not deployed during panchayat polls ( Image Source :ANI )

West Bengal Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday claimed that central forces have not been deployed as incidents of violence were reported from various parts of the state during panchayat polls. After casting his vote at a polling booth in Nandigram, Adhikari said, "Central forces have not been deployed. CCTVs are not operating." The BJP leader's comment came amid incident of series of violence with Trinamool Congress and BJP claiming killing of their party workers during the course of the polling. 

Shortly after polling began at 7 am on Saturday, BJP candidate Maya Burman claimed that hooligans attacked a polling booth in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar in which she sustained injuries and her polling agent was killed. 

#WATCH | West Bengal panchayat election | West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, "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… pic.twitter.com/7XOAiG4V1S

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

"TMC goons hurled a bomb at my agent and killed him. They also attacked me," Burman claimed. 

The BJP candidate's claim was backed by Nikhil Ranjan Dey, BJP MLA, South Coochbehar, who said, "...Our party worker Mahadeb Biswas who was a polling agent was killed early morning by TMC goons...we will see them in High Court, we won't spare Rajiva Sinha (State Election Commissioner)."

"This is not an election, this is death," remarked Adhikari, adding "there is a fire of violence across the state." 

"This is not voting but loot...This is the collusion of TMC goons and Police and that is why so murders are happening," he added. 

Earlier in the day, TMC also claimed that three of their party workers were killed while two were wounded ahead of the polls. 

"...Three of our party workers have been murdered in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram and two have been left wounded from gunshots in Domkol," the party claimed. 

According to news agency ANI, a 52-year-old TMC worker, Sateshuddin Sheikh was killed in Khargram of Murshidabad. His body was brought to a hospital for postmortem.

A polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai in West Bengal's Coochbehar was vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire soon after voting began for single-phase panchayat polls in the state.