Panchayat poll violence in West Bengal on Monday claimed lives of at least 18 people, mostly political workers and voters, with reports surfacing from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas that local CPI(M) leader Debu Das and his wife — who earlier refused to join the TMC — were allegedly locked inside a room and then burnt alive by the henchmen of local Trinamool candidate. As per the report, Trinamool goons killed at least 16 people.
More than 200 people have been hurt, some of them sustaining life-threatening injuries.
With reports of violence from across the State, sources said the State Election Commission (SEC) might order re-polling in 8-10 booths. However, State Election Commissioner Amrendra Kumar Singh refused to comment on the number
of casualties. He said, “I will make no comment today. Whatever I will speak I will speak tomorrow.”
Incidently, Bengal State Election Commission had earlier rejected demand for deployment of Central forces apparently at the behest of the ruling Trinamool Congress.”
By late noon on Monday, the Union Home Ministry sought a report from the State Government regarding the incidents of violence, sources said.
Earlier in the day, Opposition leaders, like left Front chairman Binan Bose and BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Mukul Roy, rushed to Bengal Governor KN Tripathi seeking his intervention.
Even as Calcutta High Court judges watched the voting proceedings live, a group of lawyers from the Bar Association moved the court seeking permission to start contempt proceedings against the SEC and the Mamata Government, which had earlier been warned by the HC that any violence would make the senior officers personally and jointly liable.
Voter turnout was about 70 per cent by 5 pm when reports last came in the State where normally turnout is anywhere between 80 and 90 per cent.
In Kultali, a TMC supporter was shot dead by alleged SUCI members. The latter, however, dismissed the charges. At Amdanga in North 24 Parganas, a CPI (M) supporter Tahifur Rehman was bombed to death by TMC goons; whereas in Nandigram in East Midnapore, two left supporters who refused to quit the voting queue were shot dead by one of Trinamool’s many biker gangs that literally dominated the State with impunity.
In Beldanga in Murshidabad district, BJP worker Tapan Mandal was shot dead by Trinamool goons whereas at Naoda in same district a supporter of an Independent candidate was gunned down by TMC miscreants.
Murshidabad alone saw seven people, including two children, shot at by rampaging Trinamool goons. All the victims are in critical condition and being treated in a local medical college.
At Nakashipara in Nadia alleged CPI(M) men shot dead TMC’s Bhola Tarafdar. Again at Raiganj, a voter was shot dead inside the booth by alleged Trinamool goons. The same district witnessed about 239 incidents of booth capturing.
About 29 people were admitted to the State-run hospital’s intensive care units, sources said. One death was reported from South Dinajpur.
At Okrabari in Coochbehar district, voting ended by 11.30 am when all votes were polled by alleged TMC goons. The same district witnessed State Minister and local MlA RN Ghosh slapping a BJP worker when the latter questioned his unwarranted entry inside the booth.
The Minister later rejected the charges. The district alone accounted for more than 50 injuries in poll-related violence.
In neighbouring Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts scores of reports of looting ballot boxes poured in by midnoon. In Jalpaiguri ballot boxes where the BJP was reportedly doing well were looted and put on fire. In some places boxes were thrown in ponds and in other places those who rigged polls counted the ballots themselves before putting the papers back inside the ballot boxes, polling officers said.
Violence, bombing and bloodshed were reported from Arambagh in Hooghly, Bankura, Shatnipur in Nadia, Purulia, Malda and Birbhum, sources said.
Notwithstanding large-scale violence State Minister Partho Chatterjee said “polls were largely peaceful though there were some unfortunate deaths out of which five belonged to our Trinamool Congress.”
His party colleague Derek O’Brien tweeted, “To all ‘newborn’ experts on Bengal Panchayat Elections in State. 400 killed in poll violence in 1990s in CPIM rule. 2003: 40 dead. Every death is a tragedy. Now closer to normal than earlier times. Yes, few dozen incidents. Say, 40 out of 58,000 booths. What’s ageIJ”
CPI (M)’s Sitaram Yechury said it was an “open, naked murder of democracy... a Constitutional breakdown rather than law and order breakdown.”
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said his party was contemplating action against this violence.
“We will not take things lying down. We will not spare this incident”.
CPI (M)’s Sujan Chakrabarty wondered, why “when Karnataka can conduct State elections without a single bloodshed we cannot even hold a panchayat election.”
Violence had started soon after the announcement of polls when about 14 people lost their lives during nomination stage where the Trinamool won about 34 per cent seats uncontested leading the Supreme Court to stall the publication of the results.
last week the Calcutta High Court also warned the SEC and the Government against violence holding the top officers accountable for bloodshed saying in case of deaths and injuries the victims would have to be compensated from the salary and estate of the officials.