Elections to Bengal’s 12 municipalities ended on Saturday amid reports of stray violence and booth capturing allegedly by the ruling Trinamool Congress even as the State Election Commissioner said re-polling would be ordered in a number of booths.
Amid complaints of “rampant violence”, opposition left Front withdrew its candidates from three municipalities of Burdwan, Panihati and Chakdaha — once its strong bastions — even as the Trinamool Congress leadership said “such withdrawal means that they have conceded defeat before the results are out.” While the Congress, which also claimed “unprecedented violence” remained in the fray “as we are for democratic process” State Opposition leader Suryakanto Mishra said “Bengal has returned to the black era of 1972” adding the level of violence had crossed the 1972 marked.
“We are boycotting the polls as we did then” he said reminding how the left Front had remained off the Assembly for full five years. “A time has come when we have to step up our agitation both inside and outside the Assembly against the unprecedented violence the ruling party is taking recourse to,” he said while Trinamool leader Jyotipriya Mullick said “in no place the Trinamool is involved in any violence.”
Reports of booth capturing came from Gushkara, Habra and Howrah even as goons reportedly captured the booths at gun-point while the police remained a silent spectator, the opposition complained. SEC Meera Pandey said “there are reports of violence in some areas and we will decide on re-polling in quite a few booths.” More than 72 percent voters took part in the polling till reports last came in, sources said.