Panchayat elections: Why re-polling is being done in 697 booths of West Bengal
Re-polling IN panchayat polls was done in 697 booths of five districts of West Bengal on July 10. Photo: PTI
The State Election Commission (SEC) in West Bengal has announced re-polling in 697 booths for the panchayat elections. These booths are spread across five districts: Purulia, Birbhum, Jalpaiguri, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas.
The decision for re-polling was made due to allegations of ballot box tampering and widespread violence, resulting in at least 20 deaths.
Among the districts, Murshidabad (175) and Malda (109) had the highest number of affected booths. Re-polling also took place in Cooch Behar (53), North 24 Parganas, Uttar Dinajpur (42), South Parganas (36), Purba Medinipur (31), and Hooghly (29).
However, the tragic violence that unfolded during the West Bengal Panchayat elections, claiming 20 lives, was an inevitable outcome. The cycle of violence had been escalating since June 9, finally reaching its peak on the polling day. Within the past month, 36 people lost their lives in the lead-up to the panchayat polls.
Understanding the root cause of violence
It is important to note that the cycle of violence during panchayat polls is not new to the state. History shows that violence has often marred the democratic voting process in West Bengal. In the 2003 panchayat polls, 70 people were killed, and 36 lost their lives in clashes during the 2008 polls.
Violence was previously employed as a tool by the Communist Party of India (CPI) to secure election victories. Even after the CPI(M) was ousted from power and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) led by Mamata Banerjee took over, the violence did not cease.
For instance, in 2018, the TMC secured 95% of the seats in the panchayat polls amidst widespread violence. Nearly 35% of the candidates were elected without contest. Experts argue that while the government leadership changed in 2011, the situation on the ground remained largely unchanged.
Political deaths have been rising in West Bengal, as seen from the spate of killings during the 2023 Panchayat polls. Let's look at the trend of such violence in the state. #DIU #WestBengal #PanchayatPolls pic.twitter.com/ZRuNaCIWkt
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) July 10, 2023
Money plays a significant role as every constituency becomes a lucrative target for political parties. The Panchayat Raj system consists of three levels: gram panchayat (village level), Mandal Parishad or Block Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level). The state has 3,317 village panchayat seats, 63,283 panchayat samiti seats, and 928 district council seats.
A district council receives a budget of 500 crores over five years, while a village panchayat receives Rs 5-15 crore. Additionally, the state receives Rs 4000 crore annually from the central government under rural development.
The potential for such substantial financial gains creates a major incentive for violence in every seat. Parties are reluctant to let go of such opportunities that yield crores over five years.
Significance of panchayat polls in West Bengal
For the ruling party, the TMC, these polls serve as a litmus test ahead of the 2024 general elections. In the 2019 general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) surprised the TMC by winning 18 out of 42 seats. The BJP benefited from the transfer of votes from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress.
However, in the 2021 assembly polls, the TMC secured a decisive victory, winning over 215 seats out of 294. The BJP emerged as the second-largest party, securing over 77 seats.
As the 2024 elections approach, the BJP aims to improve upon its 2019 performance in the general elections, capitalizing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.