Kolkata : Panchayat elections are being held in West Bengal today. Amidst apprehension of violence in the elections, heavy security forces have been deployed. Despite this, incidents of vandalism in one polling booth and burning of ballot papers have come to the fore in Coochbehar. According to the State Election Commission, the fate of candidates is at stake in 63,229 Gram Panchayat seats, 9,730 Panchayat Samiti seats and 928 Zilla Parishad seats in 22 districts. 5.67 crore voters will vote during the election. The results of the election will come on July 11. According to officials, so far 16 people have died in election-related violence in the state.
Voting is going on for the West Bengal Panchayat elections. During this, the Governor of West Bengal C.V. Anand Bose visited polling booths and interacted with voters and candidates.
#WATCH , West Bengal Panchayat election | On his way to a polling booth in Basudebpur of North 24 Parganas, Governor CV Ananda Bose stopped by a few CPI(M) candidates as they shared their various issues with him.
The governor stops and listens to them. pic.twitter.com/B7o4fwTWKC
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
Several incidents of violence have been reported in districts like Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, Malda and Cooch Behar in the last few days ahead of the panchayat elections in West Bengal. As such, voting for the three-tier panchayat elections in the state is extremely challenging. Central paramilitary forces have been deployed for these elections and have even been ordered to stay for ten days after the declaration of the results, so that the elections are conducted. After that any kind of violence can be stopped.
#WATCH , Polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Coochbehar vandalised and ballot papers set on fire. Details awaited.
Voting for Panchayat elections in West Bengal began at 7 am today. pic.twitter.com/m8ws7rX5uG
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
Bengal has a history of violence during elections, which was rampant during the Communist regime and continues till today. The state government claims that it has been able to reduce the number of incidents of violence and the media is using sporadic incidents to present a false narrative. Earlier, the state election commission, under criticism from the governor for allegedly not doing enough to stop the violence, had requisitioned more than 800 companies of central forces for these elections.
#WATCH , West Bengal #PanchayatElection23 , Voters queue up at a polling station in Basanti of South 24 Parganas district amid rainfall as they await their turn to cast a vote. pic.twitter.com/Iq7xBpbpft
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023
Public meetings, roadshows and door-to-door campaigning were done in the state for the panchayat elections. Many leaders including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Leader of the Opposition Shubhendu Adhikari participated in it.
TMC and Congress workers clash in Rashidabad
Before the West Bengal Panchayat elections, there was a clash between Trinamool Congress and Congress workers in Shamsherganj area of Murshidabad district on Friday night. A house was ransacked due to a fight between the workers of both the parties. After getting information about the incident, a team from the local police station
