Voters Set Ballot Box On Fire In Cooch Behar As Bengal Votes In Rural Polls: Watch

Bengal Panchayat Polls: A ballot box was set on fire on Saturday in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district after reports of bogus voting started doing the rounds.

Screengrab of the ballot box that was set on fire

Source : Twitter/@ANI

As the polling for West Bengal Panchayat Elections 2023 is underway, a group of angry voters in Cooch Behar set on fire a ballot box at a polling booth after reports of bogus voting started doing rounds. News agency ANI shared a visual from the polling booth.

#WATCH | 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. pic.twitter.com/6C5aC00uac

— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

In the one-minute video, a ballot box was seen on fire, and then some people who were carrying sticks were seen coming out of the polling booth. The polling booth was completely destroyed in the violence.

Meanwhile, nine people lost their lives in election-related violence since midnight. As per officials, among those killed were five TMC members, one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress, and the supporter of an Independent candidate, reported news agency PTI. Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in at least two polling booths, they added.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited several areas of the North 24 Parganas district and met the people who got injured in the violence. He then interacted with the voters. A polling agent of the BJP named Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district, said officials, as reported by PTI.

The polling began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates. Till 11 am, 22.6 per cent voter turnout was recorded.