TMC Leading in Bengal Panchayat polls, counting of votes continues

Despite the presence of police and Central forces, the counting of votes in Bengal’s panchayat polls saw widespread clashes between supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress and its opponents – the BJP, the CPIM, Congress and the Indian Secular Front. The Trinamool Congress was comfortably leading in all segments of the three-tier panchayat votes, but pockets of defiance like BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s pocket borough Nandigram stood out. In the gram panchayats, the Trinamool Congress was on the way to winning almost 65 per cent of the 3,317 seats when reports last came in.
Strange allegations also surfaced during the counting of votes. In Ashoknagar in North 24-Parganas district, CPIM candidate Rabindranath Majumdar alleged that he had won by four votes, but the Trinamool candidate Mahadev Mati “snatched and ate” a bunch of the ballot papers, after which officials declared that the Trinamool candidate had won by a margin of 40 votes.
BJP MLA Chandana Bauri’s car was stoned in Shaltora in Bankura district while an elderly person was injured in a bomb blast at Bakcha in East Medinipur on Tuesday. MLA Tapas Saha of Nadia’s Tehatta was injured by central forces’ lathicharge while several people were injured in the clash between the Trinamool and CPM in West Burdwan’s Kanksa.
Clashes also took place between the Trinamool and opponents in Bongaon in North 24-Parganas district and in Howrah. Bombs were burst in Murshidabad’s Shamserganj in which two people were injured. In Hariharpara police station area, the CPM was accused of beating the Trinamool candidate and her husband. In Nanoor in Birbhum district, Trinamool Congress workers were allegedly preventing CPM workers from going to the counting center. The tension surrounding the enumeration also spread to Howrah and Hooghly districts.
Amid the counting of votes, Governor CV Ananda Bose warned of an “all-out action” against those sitting in “political control rooms, and guiding the goons on the field”. More than 40 people have been killed in poll-related violence in the state so far, with 18 being killed on Saturday when the polling was held.
“There will be a relentless fight against the growing violence…those who commit violence in the field will regret the day they were born. All authorities will come down with a heavy hand on the goons and lawbreakers,” Bose told reporters after visiting Bhangar in South 24-Parganas which has seen some of the worst violence before, during and after the panchayat elections.
He also expressed concern over the impact of violence on the prospects of future generations in the State. “There will be certainly very stern action because this violence is affecting the future of the new generation…We will make West Bengal a safer place for the new generation to live in…”
Heavy security was deployed at various counting centres across the State as reports of rigging, booth capturing, and numerous reports of electoral misconduct and voter intimidation during the polling process had surfaced.
The electoral misconduct even prompted a re-poll in 696 booths on Monday.
To prevent any recurrence of such incidents, at least 80-90 central force personnel were on guard at each of the 339 counting centres, election officials said.
A total 5.67 crore people living in rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats. First, the counting of votes for Gram Panchayats was being done and was to be followed by those cast for Zilla Samitis and Zilla Parishads.
The election is significant for the ruling Trinamool Congress party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the principal Opposition party in the State, serving as a crucial litmus test ahead of the Lok Sabha election in 2024.