West Bengal: SEC Meets Governor As Another Incident Of violence Reported Ahead Of Panchayat Polls

Houses were vandalised during the clash and injuries were also reported, according to the news agency ANI.

SEC Meets Governor As Another Incident Of violence Reported Ahead Of Polls

Source : ANI

New Delhi: Amid incidents of pre-panchayat poll violence in West Bengal, State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha on Sunday called on Governor CV Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan. Sinha has been under fire from the opposition parties for allegedly overlooking the violent incidents in the state. Governor Bose had earlier summoned the state commission chief to take updates on measures taken by him to ensure free and fair polls, according to the news agency IANS. 

Meanwhile, another incident of violence was reported from West Bengal's Purulia district on Sunday, the latest in the run-up to scheduled panchayat polls on July 8. The incident happened after a clash broke out reportedly between the workers of CPI(M) and TMC in the Raghunathpur area of Purulia.

Houses were vandalised during the clash and injuries were also reported, according to the news agency ANI. Following the clash, the police personnel rushed to the area. West Bengal has reportedly witnessed a number of violent incidents in the last few weeks.

#WATCH | West Bengal | Violence ensued in Raghunathpur of Purulia district today after a clash broke out reportedly between workers of CPI(M) and TMC. Houses were vandalised during the clash. Injuries reported. Police personnel are now present in the area. pic.twitter.com/fO5w5fqdHG

— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2023

Meanwhile, today, West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary wrote to the State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha and Governor CV Ananda Bose, urging them to provide security cover to the media personnel during the ensuing panchayat election in the state.

"The unchained beasts of violence and intimidation are likely to swagger over the entire state following the articulate and inarticulate commands of the leadership of the ruling party. Under such state of affairs, the electorate including media personnel and vote-workers are not safe," the letter stated.

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary writes to the State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha and Governor CV Ananda Bose, requesting them to provide security cover to the media personnel during the ensuing panchayat election in the state. pic.twitter.com/ntT5jumopV

— ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2023

The letter further added, "In the past, many media persons were fatally injured and brutally killed in the incidents of violence. The entire media world and I myself will remain ever beholden to you, if you kindly issue order or do what is required for providing security cover for the media persons on duty."

 

Mamata To Start Poll Campaign On Monday

West Bengal CM will kick-start her full-scale campaign for the July 8 panchayat elections in the state on Monday. As per the schedule, the first campaigning for the election will begin from North Bengal's Cooch Behar on June 26.

The election will be held in a single phase on July 8, with vote counting scheduled for July 11.