Bengal Panchayat Polls: Voters Boycott Polling Until Deployment Of Central Forces In Nandigram. Watch

Voters in Purba Medinipur district's Nandigram block have sought Central forces' employment alleging that TMC people capture booths here and do bogus voting.

Residents of Nanidgram Block 1 in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur district. ( Image Source :ANI )

The residents of Nandigram Block 1 of Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal have said that they will boycott the Panchayat elections if Central forces are not deployed at their booths in Mahammadpur No. 2 area. They said that booth capturing keeps happening here by TMC whose workers do bogus voting. They said that they will not allow voting to take place at booth numbers 67 and 68 until Central forces cone there.

"There is no Central force here. Booth capturing keeps happening here by TMC. They do bogus voting even in the name of the deceased. We won't allow voting here unless Central forces come here...," says a voter.

#WATCH | West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Residents of Nandigram Block 1 of Purba Medinipur district say that they are boycotting the election until Central forces are deployed at booth numbers 67 & 68 in Mahammadpur No. 2 area.

A voter, Govind says, "There is no Central force… pic.twitter.com/biiw5CEdrI

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

Trinamool Congress on Saturday claimed that three of its party workers have been killed ahead of the panchayat polls in West Bengal. "...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.

Reacting to the development, West Bengal minister Shashi Panja said, "Shocking and tragic incidents have unfolded the night before which has just started this morning in the Panchayat elections in West Bengal. The BJP, CPI(M) and Congress had colluded together and were clamouring for Central forces. Where is the deployment?."

"Why have the central forces failed to protect the citizens? TMC workers have been murdered, two have been shot at. Those who were asking for deployment, saying that these central forces are the guardians of peace - the guardians have failed, faltered to protect the rights of citizens," she added.

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.