Bengal Panchayat Election 2023 HIGHLIGHTS — SEC Says Will Look Into Poll Violence Complaints, Demands For Repolling
Bengal Panchayat Election 2023 HIGHLIGHTS: Hello and welcome to ABP Live's West Bengal Panchayat Poll Live Blog. Follow this space for all the latest updates and news on Bengal Panchayat polls.
"What I have seen on the ground is very disturbing, there is violence & murder...one thing I have noticed is that it is the poor people who get killed, the killers are also poor...we should kill poverty but instead we're killing the poor...this is not what Bengal deserves...": West Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose to ANI.
According to ABP News, 66 per cent polling was recorded till 5pm.
"Democracy has been wiped off...we demanded the examination of CCTV visuals and repolling in areas where there was violence and CCTV was not working...": Suvendu Adhikari, West Bengal LoP to news agency ANI, after visiting state election commission office.
"Many people have died during the panchayat polls voting. CM Mamata Banerjee and state election commissioner reduced the panchayat elections to a joke," says West Bengal BJP leader Agnimitra Paul to PTI
Bengal State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha on Saturday promised to look into complaints of vote tampering and to take a decision on possible re-polling after receiving reports from observers and returning officers, PTI reported.
West Bengal BJP President Dr Sukanta Majumdar writes to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting to restore democracy in the state after it witnessed violence during the Panchayat poll, ANI reported.
BSF sent a letter to the SEC stating that despite knocking SEC regarding the Sensitive booths no information was shared. Further, the incident of huge violence had taken in the places where the State Police are deployed. If the proper list of sensitive areas would have been provided then the deployment of central forces would have been easier, as per ANI
The ruling party in Bengal does not rely on ballots but on bullets, hence this is the state of the state… Mamata Banerjee is giving shelter to outside infiltrators, anti-social elements and Trinamool goons: Union Minister of State for Home Nishith Pramanik to ANI
"One person is suspected to be dead and yet to be declared by the doctors. The bomb hit the victim's head...," Dibakar Das, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) told ANI on the alleged blast at Phul Malancha polling booth in South 24 Parganas
BJP president JP Nadda speaks to West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari and BJP West Bengal in-charge Mangal Pandey on panchayat poll violence, ANI reported.
"Congress CPI(M), BJP attacking TMC workers, planned violence as an excuse for losing elections," PTI quoted TMC's Kunal Ghosh as saying.
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 Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary to ANI
"...The governor made the biggest mistake by appointing Rajiva Sinja...It is 3 pm & over 15 people have died, they were killed by TMC goons...Centre should intervene with either Article 355 or 356...we want action from custodian of constitution...": West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to ANI
Stone pelting and hurling of bombs reported at booth numbers 25 and 26 in Nagharia area of English Bazar in Malda district. Police personnel present at the spot. Injuries reported, as per ANI.
West Bengal Panchayat Elections: "What more can we expect from the West Bengal Police? If they can stop a Union Minister from casting his vote, then I cannot imagine what the common people are going through. Rule of Law has completely failed in Bengal," says Union Minister Nisith Pramanik after being stopped at the gate of a polling booth in Dinhata.
"TMC only contests and wins elections with the help of violence and this is a blot on democracy," says UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh on panchayat poll violence in West Bengal.
"Some jawans of central forces at a booth are going to the people and appealing to them to vote for BJP but people of West Bengal will not respond to their appeal," says TMC leader Kunal Ghosh amid Panchayat polls voting in West Bengal.
CPI(M) leader MD Salim on violence witnessed during West Bengal panchayat elections:
"It (violence during West Bengal panchayat elections) is a goof up between the central force and the state force police, as well as between the coordinating department and the Home Ministry. Ultimately the people have been thrown to the wolves."
Voting suspended at Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata after water was thrown into the ballot box here.
West Bengal panchayat election | Ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire allegedly by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on here.
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 loot...This is the collusion of TMC goons and Police and that is why so murders are happening."
West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari cast his vote for the panchayat election at a polling booth in Nandigarm.
West Bengal panchayat elections: “There is no deployment of central forces in over 50 per cent of the booths in my constituency Asansol South,” says BJP leader Agnimitra Paul.
BSF IG S.C. Budakoti arrives at the West Bengal State Election Commission to meet the Election Commissioner in Kolkata.
Panchayat Polls: Voting discontinued as booth attacked in Jalpaiguri, reporters PTI.
LoP Bengal and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikar tweets:
"West Bengal Panchayat Elections - Carnival of DEMO'N'CRACY. Mamata Banerjee's henchman & contract killer; State Election Commissioner Rajiv Sinha is executing her plans across the State."
TMC and Congress workers clash over jumping of queues by some voters at Booth No. 23 in Kolabedia area of Domkal.
Bengal Panchayat Polls: TMC, Congress workers clash in Malda district, report PTI.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose says, "I have been in the field right from the morning...People requested me, stopped my motorcade on the way. They told me about the murders happening around them, told me about the goons not allowing them to go to the polling booths...It should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy...Election must be through ballots and not bullets.."
Nikhil Ranjan Dey, BJP MLA, South Coochbehar, says, "...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)..."
Booth destroyed, ballot boxes stolen in West Bengal's Barasat during Panchayat polls, reports PTI.
West Bengal Panchayat Election: BJP leader Rahul Sinha says, "When Election Commission and Govt collude and take a decision that the ruling TMC loot the election, then what is happening now will happen. Central forces came here but they were not sent to booths...Four people have been killed so far. One, there is a fight within TMC itself, two - TMC is attacking BJP & other parties. It seems to be a farce in the name of election...We can't call this an election for the people."
Madhav Vishwas, the polling agent of a BJP candidate killed in an attack by hooligans, on a polling booth in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar.
The candidate is admitted to a hospital after sustaining injuries, voting suspended at the booth. The candidate Maya Barman says, "TMC goons hurled a bomb at my agent and killed him. They also attacked me."
West Bengal Panchayat Election: Abdullah, the booth agent of an independent candidate killed in Pirgachha of North 24 Parganas district. Villagers stage a protest and demand the arrest of the accused and allege that the husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi is behind the murder. Police personnel are present at the spot. Details awaited.
West Bengal minister Shashi Panja says, "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."
West Bengal panchayat elections: Governor CV Ananda Bose inspected a polling booth in North 24 Parganas.
A 52-year-old TMC worker, Sateshuddin Sheikh killed in Khargram of Murshidabad. His body has been brought to a hospital for postmortem.
A Congress worker, Phoolchand was killed during the nomination process for Panchayat election here in Khargram and Governor CV Ananda Bose met his family here yesterday.
West Bengal Panchayat Election: 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 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..."
West Bengal Panchayat election: On his way to a polling booth in Basudebpur of North 24 Parganas, Governor CV Ananda Bose stopped by a few CPI(M) candidates as they share their various issues with him.
Governor stops and listens to them.
Voters queue up at a polling station in Basanti of South 24 Parganas district amid rainfall as they await their turn to cast a vote.
Polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Coochbehar vandalised and ballot papers set on fire. Details awaited.
Voters standing in a queue outside a polling booth in Murshidabad to cast their vote for West Bengal Panchayat Elections. The counting of votes for the panchayat polls will take place on July 11.
Voting for the 2023 West Bengal Panchayat elections begins. Voting on a total of 63,229 gram panchayat seats; 9,730 panchayat samiti seats; and 928 zilla parishad seats being held.
Background
Bengal Panchayat Election 2023 HIGHLIGHTS: Hello and welcome to ABP Live's West Bengal Panchayat Poll Live Blog. Follow this space for all the latest updates and news on Bengal Panchayat polls. The state on Saturday is scheduled to undergo polls for 75,000 seats in the three-tier Panchayati Raj system, the results of which will be announced on July 11. Almost 61,000 polling stations have been set up in 20 districts of the state for three tiers single-phase polling for Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad.
Whereas, two-tier polling will be conducted in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of the state.
At present there are 825 Zilla Parishad constituencies in 20 Zilla Parishads and 1 Mahakuma Parishad. Apart from this, there are 9,240 Panchayat Samiti constituencies in 341 Panchayat Samiti and 48,751 Gram Panchayat constituencies in 3,354 Gram Panchayat.
For the rural body polls, 2,36,464 candidates have filed their nomination and the polling will start from 7 am till 5 pm.
The build-up to the polls saw a series of violence in the state with Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress, and Trinamool Congress trading blames on each other.
In view of the volatile situation in the state, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the State Election Commission (SEC) to deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) during the polls.
As per the directions, booths will have 50% CISF and state police respectively, out of which, 65000 will be central forces, and 70000 state forces.
The Chief Justice's division bench directed the IG BSF and the nodal officers that each booth will have 50% central forces personnel and 50% state police. Central forces will remain deployed till the counting of votes.
Earlier last week, Union Ministry of Home Affairs had announced that 315 central armed forces companies would be deployed in West Bengal for the forthcoming panchayat elections on July 8.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been deployed in parts of the state where violenc took place during the nomination process.
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