Yesterday's Panchayat elections in West Bengal were foiled by widespread violence that is said to have killed at least thirteen people. Polling booths were vandalized and voting papers were set on fire in some locations, as voters lined up to cast their ballots in the crucial three-tier panchayat elections.
Among those who were killed are seven members of the ruling Trinamool Congress, two members of the CPI (M), one member of each of the BJP and Congress, and one person without any political affiliation, according to officials. They added that the men had been shot, seriously injured by homemade bombs, or hacked.
The TMC was criticized by the opposition BJP for the violence, and it was claimed that the State Election Commissioner did not conduct the elections in a free and fair way.
Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, proposed the imposition of the President's Rule. Md Salim, the state secretary for the CPI (M), tweeted, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour.” And uploaded a video showing open ballot boxes laying in a field.
Manik Saha, the chief minister of Tripura, accused the TMC of obstructing democracy during the panchayat elections in West Bengal and urged his counterpart to "learn" from the northeastern state "how to ensure free, fair, and peaceful" elections. Amit Saha further said that reports of violence are proof that "democracy being murdered there" after hearing that 12 people had died during the West Bengal rural elections.
(Photos: PTI/The Indian Express)
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
