13 die in West Bengal Panchayat polls violence. Is this the development Didi promised?
The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal had captured 34 per cent seats and close to 16,000 village council seats even before by-polls could begin in the state. But the day turned bloody as panchayat polls were held in 66 per cent of the state's seats, with reports of large scale violence claiming 13 lives across West Bengal. However, the state IG (law and order) and DGP holding a press conference said that six people died of reasons not related to the polls.
Casualties have been reported from both the ruling party and the Opposition, in fact the former has claimed that it has suffered the most at the hands of a joint attack by the BJP, Congress and the Left Front.
The number of TMC candidates killed were six, but the number in the Opposition camp is staggering considering the pre-poll violence and the number of injured.
Two Left supporters were burnt to death a day before the poll at Kakdwip in the Sunderbans. Bhangar in South 24 parganas, which was on the boil over the death of innocent villagers just two days before, witnessed vehicles of mediapersons being ransacked and muscle flexing, even though the Trinamool Congress leader, Arabul Islam, a political heavyweight accused in the killing, was behind the bars.
The locals had blocked their paths with bricks and tree trunks and burnt tyres to stop the henchmen from entering their area.
North Bengal also witnessed mayhem in booths with the ruling party leaders carrying out false voting, rigging and booth jamming. In fact, Trinamool Congress minister Rabindranath Ghosh was photographed slapping a BJP candidate. Malda and Murshidabad, too, saw violent scenes outside poll booths as two innocent voters succumbed to bullet injuries and seven others were hospitalised following a splinter injury.
The Calcutta High Court has asked the state election commission to ensure free and fair polls at any cost, but the latter could not keep its word. It remains to be seen what will be the next directive from the court since the key condition of holding the polls on May 14 itself was flouted.
The western part of the state — mainly Purulia, West Midnapore and Bankura — too saw mayhem, with the Rapid Action Force (RAF) being deployed to bring the situation under control. In this region, the tribals had put up independent candidates against the ruling party.
Here, Trinamool Congress-sponsored goons took charge and scared the villagers away by throwing bombs, and firing shots in the air. The ruling party had fought the election on the development plank and people in the state have begun to ask if any real progress has really taken place.
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