The cycle of violence connected to rural polls in West Bengal seems never-ending. One month after the results were declared, violence erupted once again among supporters of all political parties in most districts of the state over the formation of panchayat boards. Parties resorted to desperate attempts to lure members from rival camps through violence, poaching, intrigue, switching sides, and even “ghar wapsi.”
The incidents were primarily concentrated in Mandirbazar in South 24-Parganas, Jangipara in Hooghly, Khejuri in East Midnapore, Jalangi in Murshidabad, and Malda’s Gazole.
Bullets flew in Nichaksaba panchayat under Khejuri II in East Midnapore as attention was on the board in Nandigram. A few policemen and husband of the newly elected pradhan sustained bullet injuries. CPM, BJP and Congress supporters clashed with police at Babupur panchayat in Malda’s Gazole after cops couldn’t trace missing CPM member Dipali Besra.
The State Panchayat and Rural Development Department has issued a notification asking District Magistrates to form boards at rural bodies by August 16, amid questions on whether the move will invite another round of legal implications for the Government.
Sources said the State Government was in no mood to delay the board formation. Chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi had cited the West Bengal Panchayat Constitution Rules, 1975, and laid stress on holding the first meeting of the newly elected boards before the five-year tenure of the existing boards was completed.
A section of officials said the Government should not have shown such a tearing hurry as the entire process of the panchayat elections held on July 8 was under the scanner of the court.
“The Government could have waited for the verdict of the High Court which itself had said the fate of elected candidates depended on the cases pending before it,” said an official.
Some Panchayat Department officials, however, said as the High Court did not issue any order preventing the formation of the boards, the Government couldn’t be faulted for initiating the board formation process.
“Besides, the tenure of many of gram panchayats’ boards will expire on August 16. So, for these bodies, the process has to be completed by August 16,” said a source.
Two MLAs of Opposition parties in West Bengal alleged that they were attacked amid efforts to form governing boards in gram panchayats in the State, which has been hit by violence since the notification for the three-tier panchayat polls was issued on June 8.
Indian Secular Front MLA Nawsad Siddique alleged that stones were thrown at his residence at Furfura in Hooghly district during the formation of a panchayat board. His supporters blocked roads in Furfura, which falls under the Jangipara Assembly segment, and a large police contingent was deployed in the area to maintain law and order after stone pelting was reported.
Tension was also reported in the Bhangar Assembly constituency, represented by Siddique, during the formation of a panchayat board and prohibitory orders were imposed in the area.
State Transport Minister and Jangipara MLA Snehasis Chakraborty said the ruling Trinamool Congress has sufficient numbers in gram panchayats and there is no reason why it would want to disrupt the formation of boards.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also alleged that the BJP MLA from Khanakul constituency, Susanta Ghosh, and the vehicle in which he was travelling had been “brutally attacked”. “His fault was winning the zilla parishad seat. If an MLA is attacked, then what will be the condition of elected members of gram panchayats,” Adhikari said.
He said similar attempts to prevent Opposition candidates from forming boards in panchayats were made at Krishnapur in Mandirbazar block, Kukrahati in Sutahata block, and Sagarpara in Jalangi block.