Violence linked to the West Bengal panchayat elections is showing no signs of abating, with four more deaths reported on July 12, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to appeal for peace. Ms. Banerjee, who has maintained silence since July 8, when large-scale violence was reported, said that she was saddened by the deaths. The State government will pay a compensation of ₹2 lakh to the kin of the deceased, along with a job for one person as Home Guard of West Bengal Police, she added.
While over 40 deaths have been reported in the State during the rural polls, the Chief Minister said that the number of deceased was 19, and 10-12 of them were supporters of the Trinamool Congress.
On Wednesday morning, three persons died at Bhangar in the State’s South 24 Parganas district, including two supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF), and a local villager.
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ISF supporters gathered around the counting centre at Bhangar on Tuesday night. Violence broke out in the night, when crude bombs were hurled and bullets fired. A senior police officer also sustained bullet injuries. Another Trinamool Congress supporter was found dead at Raidighi in South 24 Parganas. While speaking to mediapersons, Ms. Banerjee blamed Opposition parties for the violence. “I do not support any violence. The Ram (BJP), Baam (Left Front) and Shyam (Congress and another party, ISF) had all come together. They are responsible for the mess,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee asked the Left parties and Congress to not target her considering the talks between Opposition parties in Delhi. She said that if the Left and the Congress targeted her in the State, they could not expect her to roll out a red carpet for them in Delhi.
BJP fact-finding
During the day, a fact-finding team of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, arrived in the State. The fact-finding team comprised BJP leaders Satyapal Singh, Rajdeep Roy, and Rekha Verma.
“Mamata-ji you have shamed democracy in West Bengal,” Mr. Prasad, who visited areas like Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, where the BJP’s supporters had to flee their homes fearing violence, said.
Ms. Banerjee dubbed them as the “BJP protection committee and BJP provocation committee”. She raised questions over why such teams were not sent to Manipur.
Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said that more than 45 people had died in the poll related violence and that the Chief Minister had brought down the figures to 19 so as to pay compensation only to her own party’s workers.
‘Subject to final orders’
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said that the results of the panchayat elections were subject to the final orders of the court. “This aspect should be made note of by the State Election Commission to all the candidates who have been declared elected and inform that their declaration of having been elected is subject to further orders to be passed by this court in these writ petitions as well as in the connected matters,” a Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya said.
The Bench, which is hearing a number of petitions on the West Bengal panchayat polls, took on record the preliminary report of the Inspector General, Border Security Force, who is also the Force Co-ordinator for the rural polls. The court observed that the remarks made by the Force Co-ordinator regarding the role of State Election Commission (SEC) were “very serious and damaging”, and asked the SEC and State government to file a response in form of an affidavit. The court also directed that the Chief Secretary of the State should hold a meeting with the Force Co-ordinator, where policy steps should be taken to prevent further violence. The High Court had earlier directed that Central forces would be deployed ten days after the polls.
TMC wins 50% votes
Meanwhile, the counting of votes for the rural polls concluded on Wednesday. Of the 3,317 gram panchayats that went to polls, the TMC won in 2,634 gram panchayats, which is about 79% of all the gram panchayats in the State. The BJP won 220 gram panchayats, followed by 41 gram panchayats going to the Left Front and five to the Congress. About 214 gram panchayats have been won by ‘others’ and 203 have thrown up a hung mandate.
In terms of the results of 341 panchayat samitis, the Trinamool Congress has won in 317 panchayat samitis, the BJP has won six, and the Left parties have won two. In nine panchayat samitis, “others” have won, while seven panchayat samitis have thrown a hung mandate. The Trinamool Congress has won all 20 zilla parishads. In terms of vote share, the State’s ruling party secured about 51% votes whereas the BJP secured 22% votes, and the CPI(M) secured about 12.56% votes.
