3 Ballot Boxes were found in a drain in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district a day after the state held 3-tier panchayat elections amid ongoing violence
-Three balloting boxes were found in a drain in Murshidabad, West Bengal. (Image courtesy ANI)
Three abandoned voting boxes were discovered in a drain in the Murshidabad district on Sunday, adding to the chaos surrounding the West Bengal panchayat elections.
In Bengal’s rural areas, intense violence during the elections resulted in at least 20 deaths, widespread ballot box vandalism, and bomb attacks in numerous villages that targeted opponents.
According to PTI, the TMC said nine of its members were murdered in the incident, while the Congress said three of its followers were killed. Both the BJP and the CPI(M) made claims that two of their followers and members were killed. It was also said that two of the deceased had no political affiliation.
One of the locals told ANI that “the situation is not good after the elections, and the general public is also not coming out due to fear” after the ballot boxes had been recovered.
“The public as a whole is terrified. Trinamool Congress (TMC) threatens anyone who comes out,” he added.
West Bengal’s eligible voters used their right to vote on Saturday, July 8, to choose members for almost 928 seats spread out across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samities, and 63,229-gram panchayats.
Voting machines were broken very frequently, and opponents were targeted with bombs in several localities.
The violence associated with the election also sparked a contentious verbal battle between the political parties, with one party accusing the other of being responsible for the bloodshed.
Even President’s Rule was demanded by the state’s opposition BJP.
The opposition, according to the ruling TMC, was responsible for inciting violence during the West Bengal panchayat elections.
Rajiva Sinha, the State Election Commissioner (SEC), also acknowledged the violence that occurred during the election.
He pledged to investigate any allegations of vote rigging and to decide whether to reopen specific polling places after hearing from observers and returning officers.
An official told PTI, “We have asked the district magistrates to file reports on the deaths within 24 hours.”
As of 5 PM on Saturday, the voter turnout for the panchayat election was 66.28 percent. However, repolling was underway in 32 booths in Cooch Behar district’s Dinhata on Sunday.
The violence in West Bengal panchayat elections highlights the urgent need for a thorough examination of the electoral process and ensuring the safety and security of voters and candidates in future elections.
