As protests over panchayat poll violence and irregularities erupt across state, SEC orders repoll in 698 booths today

Guv flies to Delhi to submit report on situation to Amit Shah 

PTI, KOLKATA/ TAMLUK/ CHAKULIA/ MALDA, JULY 9, 2023 : The State Election Commission today ordered repoll in 698 booths across the state tomorrow even as protests were held indifferent parts of West Bengal on Sunday against the violence that rocked the panchayat elections and over allegations of irregularities.

In another development Guv C. V. Ananda Bose today left for Delhi to apparently file a report on the poll violence that claimed 15people yesterday.

BJP supporters staged a demonstration outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata. Security was beefed up in the area as the protestors shouted slogans against the SEC over the alleged "inability" of the poll panel to conduct the elections peacefully.

In Purba Medinipur district, BJP workers blocked the Haldia-Meched a state highway at Nanda kumar alleging that ballot boxes were being tampered with at the counting centre at Srikrishnapur High School.

"We received information around 3 am  that the ballot boxes were being changed. We are demanding repolling at all the booths in the area under the protection of central forces, besides counting of votes at the booths itself," said Tamas Dinda, a leader of the BJP's youth wing in Tamluk.

As the situation escalated, police baton-charged the protesters to bring the situation under control, officer-in-charge of Nandakumar police station Manoj Kumar Jha told PTI. Congress workers blocked the National Highway 12 in Rathbari area in Malda, protesting against the violence during polling on Saturday.

"We have hit the streets in protest against Saturday's violence. We will also go to the court against it," Congress MP Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury said.

In the district's Harishchandrapur area, a police vehicle was vandalised with stones being hurled at it on Saturday night. Deputy Superintendent of Police(Traffic) Bipul Banerjee was returning home in the vehicle when the incident happened, officials said. He was injured in the attack, and undergoing treatment at the Malda Medical College and Hospital, they said. It is suspected that miscreants from Bihar, just across the inter-state border, are behind the incident, they said, adding that an investigation was underway.

In Uttar Dinajpur, two cars were set on fire, and several vehicles, including a state-run bus, were vandalised as the protests turned violent in theChakulia police station area. The incident happened on the Rampur-Chakulia Road and National Highway31 in the morning. The demonstrators said they were unable to vote during the polls due to intimidation, and repeated calls to the administration went in vain.

Congress workers held similar protests in Murshidabad district's Beldanga, alleging that supporters of the ruling TMC indulged in intimidation of voters and false voting with impunity during the polls.

Violence was also reported from the district's Samserganj area where two groups clashed with crude bombs. At Amdanga in North 24Parganas, clashes boke out between ISF and TMC supporters. Indiscriminate crude bombs were hurled during the clashes, which happened in Sashipore in Chandigarh panchayat area. In South 24 Parganas district, three police personnel were injured while trying to control a clash between TMC and Congress supporters. The incident happened in Nainan in Magrahat police station area, police said. Those injured were Sub-inspector Arif Mohammed and constables Laltu and Prasenjit, they said.

As the condition of one of the constables was serious, he was admitted to the Diamond Harbour Hospital, they added.

Clashes were also reported from the district's Kulpi area as supporters of an Independent candidate and TMC clashed in Udairampur village. Later when police reached the area, women protested with sticks. (West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Sunday flew to New Delhi, where he is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and submit a report on the violence that took place during the panchayat elections in the state, an official said. At least 15 people were killed in violence during polling in the state on Saturday. Bose is likely to meet Shah on Monday morning, the official told PTI. 

The state governor had visited various places, mostly in North 24 Parganas district, and taken stock of the situation on Saturday during the polling. He had met family members of an injured person and had also visited a hospital, where the person was undergoing treatment.