Poll violence due to Oppn & Guv’s provocation: TMC

MP | 9 July 2023 | Kolkata: Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Chandrima Bhattacharjee on Sunday accused the Opposition and Bengal Governor of provocation which led to incidents of violence on Saturday, the day of Panchayat polls. 

“Some incidents happened because of provocation by the Opposition and the Governor who acted as the spokesperson of the BJP was also involved in provocation,” Bhattacharjee said in response to a query related to bloodshed on the day of Panchayat polls. 

Bhattacharjee who also holds the Independent charge of the state Finance department said any death that took place was unfortunate and evoked sadness but mostly Trinamool Congress workers and supporters have been killed. 

Governor CV Ananda Bose was on the streets on the day of polls and visited some areas in North 24-Parganas where he met a person injured in poll-related violence and also Nadia district. He had described the poll as a “fight between ballots and bullets” and said that he would monitor the situation throughout the state and take corrective measures. 

Trinamool Congress on Saturday had alleged that Opposition parties ‘scripted’ stories of violence to malign Bengal and also to make a point that elections do not take place peacefully. They pointed out that out of 61,539 booths, violence occurred only in 60 booths, which is less than 1 per cent of the total booths. 

The Trinamool Congress had claimed that 9 of their workers have been killed on the poll day. Murshidabad, Cooch Behar and North Dinajpur witnessed as many as 12 deaths as claimed by the political parties. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha, however, said on Sunday that according to reports received from the district Panchayat election officers there has been 10 confirmed deaths. 

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh stated: “While all deaths, irrespective of political affiliation, are unfortunate and deeply troubling, it is worth noting that of the 27 reported casualties that have taken place in the build-up to the polls, since the declaration of elections, 17 (or roughly 63%) have been Trinamool Congress workers. 

According to police officials, 8 out of 12 (around 67%) people who died yesterday were Trinamool Congress workers.” 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/poll-violence-due-to-oppn-guvs-provocation-tmc-524997