Bengal’s Maoist-hit Jangalmahal heaved a sigh of relief — as there was no loss of life but only sporadic violence and booth-capturing — when the first round of the State’s five-phase panchayat elections ended on Thursday. A little more than 62 per cent voters cast their franchise — amid a tight security cover that included 48,000 armed personnel and chopper surveillance — till reports last came in.
While State Election Commission secretary Tapas Roy said reports of ‘sporadic violence’ have come from various areas particularly Sabong in West Midnapore district,” senior police officials said the polling passed off peacefully.
This notwithstanding complaints of “cold terror and booth-capturing” from the Opposition left, Congress and the BJP who said a majority of their voters in all the three districts were forced to stay off the booths while their votes were cast by the ruling Trinamool Congress supporters.
The poll was being held after a lengthy legal battle — that travelled till the Supreme Court — between the State Government and the SEC over the contentious issues of supremacy, during the elections, availability of adequate forces to conduct the elections and division of phases.
Though in the final run the SEC’s decisions prevailed with the apex court ruling in its favour, the Commission was rendered helpless on the poll day even as the district administrations
reportedly held back the Central forces for “on-call” duty at the behest of the Writers’ Buildings, SEC sources
quoting a Collector said.
While no one was killed about 20 people suffered injuries in various incidents of clashes. Among the injured was Congress’ Dipankar Ghosh of Sabong who was hit by an arrow and rushed to Kolkata with the arrow still planted in his chest. He was fighting for his life when reports last came in. BJP candidate Asharani Dului was also grievously injured party, sources said.
“This is not an election but a farce,” senior Congress leader Abdul Mannan said alleging “in most cases Central forces were held back by the district administration and booths were allowed to be captured by the rampaging Trinamool goons.” The Commission had been informed about the incidents, he said.
CPI(M) State secretary Biman Bose said about 700 out of 4,500 booths were captured in West Midnapore alone. Curiously the CPI(M) seemed to get the taste of its own erstwhile medicines mostly from places that registered maximum complaints booth capturing during the left rule.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday again launched a frontal attack on the Centre holding it responsible for the poor State of Bengal. “They are taking away large chunk of revenue in the name of debt serving and now we are rendered helpless. Still I have tried to do a lot for the State by announcing schemes for the women, minorities and weaker sections” she told an election rally in Hooghly.