Kolkata, 10 July (Hindustan). Barring sporadic incidents of violence, re-polling in West Bengal’s panchayat elections at 696 polling stations in 19 districts remained peaceful on Monday. According to the West Bengal State Election Commission, an average voter turnout of 30.54 per cent was recorded till 1 pm. The counting of votes will start at 08 am on Tuesday.
Villagers in Nadia district blocked roads in protest after workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress allegedly prevented them from voting in the morning. The protesting villagers thrashed a Trinamool Congress youth leader and vandalized his motorcycle. Later policemen reached the spot and brought the situation under control.
The news of the death of Trinamool Congress worker Moidul Shaikh came in the morning itself, at the beginning of polling. He was a resident of Murshidabad. He died at NRS Hospital in Kolkata. He was injured in a bomb attack on Saturday, the day of polling. Apart from this, a middle-aged man died due to heat while standing in line at a polling station in Nadia district.
In Coochbehar’s Dinhata, criminal elements were trying to disrupt the polling, but they were surrounded by BSF jawans and chased away by lathicharge. A CPI(M) worker received bullet injuries during a clash between his party and Trinamool workers at Nakashipara in Nadia. He is undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Kolkata.
Similarly, a clash broke out between Trinamool Congress and BJP supporters at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district. Some crude bombs were thrown. Police and Central Armed Forces personnel immediately brought the situation under control.
BJP state president and party’s Lok Sabha member Sukant Majumdar faced protests from Trinamool Congress workers as soon as he reached Gangarampur in South Dinajpur district. Majumdar was stuck there for about 40 minutes and was later rescued by the police.
Trinamool Congress candidate Sheikh Sultana’s vehicle was vandalized allegedly by CPI(M) workers at Ankurhati in Domjur area of Howrah. Sporadic violence was reported from East Burdwan, South 24 Parganas. However, the reports of violence coming in so far were negligible compared to the polling day on Saturday. At least 16 people had died during the polling on Saturday.
Here, terming the re-polling as an eyewash, Leader of Opposition Shubhendu Adhikari and State Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary attacked Mamta Banerjee. In this regard, Adhir has filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court demanding an independent probe into the election violence under the supervision of the court. Along with this, he applied for financial compensation to the relatives of the deceased and better medical treatment to the injured. The court has accepted this and asked to provide immediate better medical treatment to the injured. Along with this, answers have also been sought from the state and central government regarding the remaining two demands.
Shubhendu Adhikari claimed in the press conference that there is evidence of rigging at more than 18,000 polling stations. Re-polling was demanded to the court by giving evidence of arson, sabotage and violence at more than six thousand polling stations, but re-polling was conducted only at the polling stations mentioned by Trinamool and IPAC (Prashant Kishor’s organization). He once again termed State Election Commissioner Rajeev Sinha as a pawn of Mamata Banerjee and said that he is not doing anything of his own free will but doing as much as IAS officer Sanjay Bansal and Trinamool Congress are saying. The officer said that he would approach the Calcutta High Court with evidence.
It is noteworthy that there are more than two lakh candidates in more than 73 thousand seats in West Bengal. Their fate was sealed in the ballot boxes. The counting of votes will start at 08 am on July 11.
