West Bengal Panchayat Election LIVE Updates: Voting halted in Dinhata, Murshidabad; SEC to conduct re-poll?

The three-tier panchayat polls in West Bengal, upheld the region's enduring tradition of violence, resulting in the loss of 12 lives on Saturday and a total toll of 30 in the month following the announcement of the elections.

However, compared to previous panchayat polls this figure is an "improvement" if it can be called that. The 2003 panchayat polls gained notoriety for its death toll of 76, with more than 40 killed on the day of the elections.

Bengal State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha on Saturday promised to look into complaints of vote tampering and to take a decision on possible re-polling after receiving reports from observers and returning officers.

Sinha said the most number of complaints on incidents of violence during the day's polling came from four districts, and they would all be taken into account while reviewing the poll process.

The SEC, who had to face a lot of flak from various political parties, said that a decision on re-polling would be taken on Sunday when observers and returning officers would scrutinise and review the polling process.

Amid incidents of violence during voting for the Panchayat election across West Bengal, a miscreant ran away with the ballot box from the polling station in Malda's Mahadipur area.

Meanwhile, voting was suspended at Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata, West Bengal's Cooch Behar, after water was thrown into the ballot box.

In another incident, a ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire allegedly by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on there.

To conduct a fair, safe and impartial election for 3,317 Gram Panchayats, 341 Panchayat Samitis and 20 Zila Parishads in West Bengal on Saturday, security forces from Centre as well as the state are deployed on all 61,636 polling booths.

The state Election Commission has set up a total 61,636 polling booths across West Bengal to conduct the election.

A total of 59,000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other State Armed Police (SAP) forces have been deployed at sensitive polling booths and the rest of the troops of CAPF and SAP along with local State Police have been given the responsibility of security at the remaining polling booths.

After completion of the polling process in the evening, all the ballot boxes will be kept secured in the 339 strong rooms across the State and the responsibility to secure the strong rooms is given to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

The polling is underway in the state and several incidents of violence were reported despite the security arrangements.

"One person is suspected to be dead and yet to be declared by the doctors. The bomb hit the victim's head...," says Dibakar Das, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) on the alleged blast at Phul Malancha bolling both in South 24 Parganas

Bengal’s rural polls drew towards a bloody finish as 12 people died, bombs exploded and all parties leveled allegations of strong arm tactics against their rivals on Saturday.

Twelve people, including eight from the ruling TMC and one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M), Congress and ISF died since midnight in the crucial three-tier panchayat polls, officials said.

The election which is being seen by analysts as a litmus test for the 2024 parliamentary elections, also witnessed scenes of ballot boxes being stolen and burnt and of public anger against political workers. Among flashpoints were Murshidabad, Nadia and Cooch Behar districts besides pockets in South 24 Parganas such as Bhangar and in Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram.

Union minister Nisith Pramanik says he was stopped from voting at booth in Cooch Behar

After videos emerged of men running away with ballot boxes, another video emerged where people poured water on ballot boxes in Sindrani.

Stone pelting and hurling of bombs reported at booth numbers 25 and 26 in Nagharia area of English Bazar in Malda district. Police personnel present at the spot. ANI reported that people have been injured

"The situation is horrible. The central forces were not properly used, and the state election commission and the ruling TMC government are trying to mislead the people," says BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on violence during panchayat elections in West Bengal.

West Bengal panchayat elections: Voting halted at a polling booth in Murshidabad after clashes between BJP and TMC supporters.

The voter turnout was recorded at 22.60 per cent till 11 in the morning.

-Voting was suspended at Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata of West Bengal's Cooch Behar after water was thrown into the ballot box here.

-In another incident, a ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire allegedly by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on here.

-Another incident was reported from Balutola in Gopalpur Panchayat of Malda where a clash broke out between Congress and TMC workers and bombs were hurled.

-The polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai of Coochbehar also was vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire.

-Several other incidents of ballot box and ballot paper looting and destruction were reported from numerous polling booths in the State.

The violence ridden panchayat elections in West Bengal is underway. Meanwhile BJP leaders have started protesting outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata.

Voting was suspended at Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata of West Bengal's Cooch Behar after water was thrown into the ballot box here.

Two children were injured in a blast in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday which happened when they picked up a crude bomb from the roadside mistaking it to be a ball, officials said.

The incident happened in Bhangor amid the polling for panchayat elections in the state, they said.

"The two children mistook the crude bomb for a ball, and as one of them touched it, it went off. Security forces were sent to the area to find if any more bombs were there," an official said.

The two children, aged between 8 and 10, were admitted to a hospital, he said.

Cutting across ideological lines, all parties in West Bengal on Saturday condemned the killing of 11 people in various districts as voting for the panchayat elections is underway, while the opposition BJP called for President’s Rule in the state.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, demanded that President's Rule be imposed in the state.

“A free and fair election under the state administration is a mirage. It is only possible only if elections are held under President’s Rule or Article 355,” he said.

Two children were injured in a blast in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday which happened when they picked up a crude bomb from the roadside mistaking it to be a ball, officials said.

The incident happened in Bhangor amid the polling for panchayat elections in the state, they said.

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on West Bengal Panchayat elections, says, “...The announcement of elections in West Bengal means the beginning of the murder of democracy. Fighting with people, firing, bombings, and arson have become a common thing and many such examples have been seen more than once.”

"Under Mamata Banerjee's government, ballot boxes are looted and democracy is crushed and killed. Mamta Banerjee and TMC leaders do the work of stooping to any level to win the elections, but Congress & Rahul Gandhi remains silent. Congress wants to form an alliance with Mamata Banerjee? Will Rahul Gandhi say something? What is the compulsion of Mamata Banerjee that in every election there is murder, murder and murder of people..." (ANI)

"What more can we expect from the West Bengal Police? If they can stop a Union Minister from casting his vote, then I cannot imagine what the common people are going through. Rule of Law has completely failed in Bengal," says Union Minister Nisith Pramanik after being stopped at the gate of a polling booth in Dinhata.

In West Bengal, residents of Dhamsa in Hooghly throw two ballot boxes in a pond allegedly after scuffle between TMC and BJP workers at a polling booth. The residents allege that Central forces were not deployed at the centre.

“TMC only contests and wins elections with the help of violence and this is a blot on democracy,” UP Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh on panchayat poll violence in West Bengal told PTI. 

As part of his assurance to monitor the situation in West Bengal where panchayat polls are being held, Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the residence of a person who was injured in a bomb attack in North 24 Parganas’ Barasat-I subdivision.

After speaking to his family members at Pirgachha, Bose went to the hospital in Barasat where the person is being treated and talked to doctors, an official said.

“The police administration in Bengal are in cahoots with the dispensation only to retain their hold on panchayat bodies,” says Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on violence witnessed during West Bengal panchayat elections.

Till 1 pm, 36.66 per cent voter turnout was recorded, officials said.

Eleven people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal since midnight as voting was underway for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state on Saturday, officials said.

Among those killed were six TMC members, and one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M), Congress and ISF, and another person whose political identity could not be known, they said.

"Some jawans of central forces at a booth are going to the people and appealing to them to vote for BJP but people of West Bengal will not respond to their appeal," says TMC leader Kunal Ghosh amid Panchayat polls voting in West Bengal.

The BJP on Saturday attacked the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging that the state under its rule has become a tragic example of violence in democracy.

Hitting out at the TMC over violence during the panchayat elections, BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters that the state used to be a centre of art, culture and science. Now, it is known for "crimes, anti-national activities and dangerous appeasement".

He alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government has been using criminals for violence during the elections by giving them protection.

Members of the BJP and the Left-Congress combine have been killed and such a situation has emerged that different factions of the TMC are attacking each other, Trivedi alleged. (PTI)

Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi said he made a representation to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court seeking an urgent hearing of a prayer seeking that Saturday's panchayat elections in West Bengal be declared null and void on account of violence and killings, PTI reported.

Six people were killed till noon since the panchayat polls started at 7 am and another three died in alleged poll-related violence since midnight in the state.

Seeking constitution of a special bench for an urgent hearing on Saturday, Bagchi, who is also a lawyer, said he has made a representation to the Chief Justice.

He prayed that the rural polls in the state be declared null and void.

"I have prayed that the court take suo motu cognisance of the violence and killings and violation of the high court's earlier orders to ensure free and fair polls," he said.

Cutting across ideological lines, all parties in West Bengal on Saturday condemned the killing of nine people in various parts of the state as voting for the panchayat elections is underway, PTI reported.

As per the report, the opposition BJP and CPI(M) alleged that the State Election Commission (SEC) did not deploy the central forces as per the orders of the Calcutta High Court.

The ruling TMC, which lost five of its supporters to poll violence, questioned the absence of central forces that have been brought in for the elections.

"Shocking incidents are being reported since last night. BJP, CPI(M) and Congress had colluded, demanding central forces. Where are they deployed? TMC workers are being murdered. Where are the central forces?" state minister Sashi Panja asked.

"This (West Bengal Panchayat polls violence) only shows that democracy is being stifled under the regime of Mamata Banerjee because she feels that if a free and fair election is conducted, she may not win the polls," says BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on violence in West Bengal on panchayat elections. (PTI)

Amid incidents of violence during voting for the Panchayat election across the state, workers of West Bengal BJP protest outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata.

West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose on Saturday condemned the violent incidents being reported since the announcement of the panchayat elections date and on the voting day. He said that elections must be held through ballots not bullets in the state.

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The BJP on Saturday attacked the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging that the state under its rule has become a tragic example of violence in democracy.

Hitting out at the TMC over violence during the panchayat elections, BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters that the state used to be a centre of art, culture and science. Now, it is known for "crimes, anti-national activities and dangerous appeasement".

“@CPIM_WESTBENGAL's decades-long reign of electoral fraud and deceit catches up with them in this year's panchayat elections. Watch as the CPIM is caught red-handed rigging votes at Baduria Gram Panchayat in North 24 Parganas! Their devious practices stand EXPOSED!” TMC tweeted. 

West Bengal panchayat election: Voting suspended at Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata after water was thrown into the ballot box here. 

BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar alleged that TMC hooliganism crossed all limits and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with the Chief Electoral Officer of the state were "responsible" for murders, according to a report published by the news agency ANI.

Read more here

“@BJP4Bengal stoops to new lows in their assault on democracy! They shamelessly opened fire outside a polling booth in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, preventing people from exercising their fundamental right to vote. Such desperate tactics only expose their attempt to obstruct free and fair elections!” TMC tweeted. 

According to the Election Commission of India, 22.60% voter turnout has been recorded till 11 am. 

Two kids injured in bomb blast in South 24 Parganas during Panchayat polls. (PTI)

The BJP on Saturday attacked the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging that the state under its rule has become a tragic example of violence in democracy.

Hitting out at the TMC over violence during the panchayat elections, BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi told reporters that the state used to be a centre of art, culture and science. Now, it is known for "crimes, anti-national activities and dangerous appeasement".

“True spirit of democracy witnessed in Chaugan Gram Panchayat, Bankura! A 106-year-old woman defied all odds, walked the distance & cast her vote in the panchayat elections. Her determination and resilience are commendable. It's a powerful reminder that our democracy thrives when every voice is heard, regardless of age or circumstance,” TMC tweeted. 

Ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire allegedly by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on here.

West Bengal panchayat election | West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, "This is not an election, this is death. There is a fire of violence across the state. Central forces have not been deployed. CCTVs are not operating. This is not voting but loot...This is the collusion of TMC goons and Police and that is why so murders are happening."

“LoP@SuvenduWB's statement confirms what we've known all along: @BJP4India has declared a war on the people of Bengal. By withholding funds worth thousands of crores under MGNREGA and Awas Yojana, the 'bohiragoto' leaders of Delhi are punishing the rural poor for rejecting them in 2021. Today, sensing BJP's inevitable defeat in the Panchayat elections, Mr. Adhikari committed anew to depriving the most vulnerable sections. Time to stand against this vindictive politics!” TMC tweeted. 

West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari cast his vote for the panchayat election at a polling booth in Nandigarm.

West Bengal panchayat elections: Governor CV Ananda Bose visited Barasat earlier today to meet the family of a victim killed in poll violence.