'Ram, Bam, Shyam Banded Together To Defeat TMC In Panchayat Polls': Mamata Takes Dig At BJP, Congress, Left

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that only 60 booths out of 71,000 saw unrest and too much was being made out of it.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday implied that the BJP, the Congress, and the CPI-M had banded together against the Trinamool Congress. "The trio of Ram, Bam [Left], and Shyam [Congress] came together during the panchayat elections to harm us... why can't they go to Manipur where violence has been persisting for so many days," she asked. She also alleged that Central forces were sent to the state only to harass TMC.

Speaking on the panchayat poll violence, Banerjee said, only 60 booths out of 71,000 saw unrest. "Too much is being made out of it. There have been a few incidents that have resulted in some fatalities, but we do not support violence. We worked following the advice of the State Election Commission."

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"We are followers of people like Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose, and Vivekananda. If I have committed any crime, people can punish me," she added.

She also questioned the BJP's fact-finding that went to Bengal in the wake of the violence. "Why has the farcical fact-finding committee been sent here," she asked. BJP on Monday appointed the four-member fact-finding committee to visit the violence-hit areas in West Bengal on Wednesday. The four-member team is being led by former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The committee includes Satyapal Singh, Rajdeep Roy, and Rekha Verma. 

The Bengal panchayat elections held on July 8 and 10 (repolling) were marked by massive violence that included bombing, shooting, and murders. As many as 33 people were killed between June 8, when the panchayat elections were announced, and July 8 (polling day), with more than 60% of the overall fatalities belonging to the TMC. As many as 18 murders were recorded on July 8.

Polling was held for 73,887 seats in zilla parishads, panchayat samitis, and gram panchayats at 339 venues across 22 districts of the state. Altogether 2.06 lakh candidates were in the fray. According to experts, the 2023 panchayat elections reflected the image of 2018 when there was widespread violence and booth capturing.