West Bengal Panchayat Elections kicks off with reports of large scale violence against workers of Opposition Parties, booth capturing, elections rigging and murders.
Violence has gripped West Bengal as the state goes to vote in the Panchayat Elections on July 8. West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Sukanta Majumdar uploaded a series of tweets with certain photos and videos, alleging that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers are committing acts of violence, vandalising poll booths and looting ballot boxes.
He tweeted, “TMC hooliganism has crossed all the limits and is now stifling democracy by looting Ballots openly in the West Bengal Panchayat elections. “This is a video from booth No. 44 & 45 of the Kholakhali, Nurpur Panchayat. @ECISVEEP @MamataOfficial @narendramodi” Sharing a video on the micro-blogging site, Majumdar claimed that the workers of the TMC have looted the ballots from many polling booths in the State.
He uploaded a video showing the polling booth at Baravita Primary School, Sitai, Cooch Behar, vandalised and ballot papers set on fire. He tweeted, “Democracy is dead in West Bengal!!”
“Didi and his goons’ style of mockery of the voting never disappoint. Ballot Boxes set ablaze in Coochbehar district. The polling officials have fled. Where is SEC (State Election Commission)? SEC has failed completely despite court orders,” he added.
He retweeted ANI wherein the residents of Nandigram Block 1, Purba Medinapur, have said that they would boycott the panchayat elections until Central Forces are deployed on booths. ANI reported a voter’s comments, Govind, who said, “There is no Central force here. Booth capturing keeps happening here by TMC. They do bogus voting even in the name of the deceased. We won’t allow voting here unless Central forces come here…”
The West Bengal BJP Chief retweeted, “Shame on CM @MamataOfficial. Democracy is vanished in the state and it’s a dark chapter of the India’s electoral history. SEC has failed to deploy central forces despite court orders.”
Majumdar further tweeted a video of a presiding officer narrating how the TMC goons allegedly captured the booth and filed bogus votes. He wrote on Twitter, “One presiding officer narrates how the TMC goons did the bogus voting and booth capturing.. This is complete mockery of the free election and democratic process. Even courts’ instructions are not being followed. @ECISVEEP @narendramodi @AmitShah”
The West Bengal BJP Chief further questioned the West Bengal State Election Commission’s involvement in facilitating the alleged booth capturing by TMC workers. He said that on one hand the SEC is reluctant to involve Central Forces, however, on the other hand, SEC is deploying civil volunteers on election duty.
He tweeted, “On the one hand, The SEC is reluctant to deploy the central forces. On the other hand, civil volunteers are deployed for the election duty. This clearly shows that state govt and SEC has hoodwinked the courts. Is SEC silently facilitating the booth capturing by TMC goons?”
He uploaded a video of a man, dressed in a blue T-shirt and lowers, directing a woman where to cast the vote. He questioned whether these could be held as free and fair elections. He wrote, “A TMC goon is sitting inside the polling booth and directing the voters where to caste the vote… Is this free and fair election CM @MamataOfficial / @CEOWestBengal?”
At 9:57 AM, Majumdar tweeted that BJP polling agent Madhav Biswas was murdered in the Cooch Behar’s Falimari area. He questioned why the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was opposing deployment of Central Forces, asking if it was to have a free run to murder the opposition’s workers.
He tweeted, “BJP polling agent Madhav Biswas murdered at Coochbehar’s Falimari, West Bengal. Is this why CM @MamataOfficial was opposing the deployment of the central forces so that her goons have free run to murder opposition karyakartas? @CEOWestBengal @PIBHomeAffairs”
He further retweeted ANI concerning the murder of a Muslim booth agent of an independent candidate, killed in Pirgachha of North 24 Parganas district. ANI had reported that the villagers are protesting and demanding the arrest of the accused, alleged to be the husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi.
He tweeted, “Bloodshed in West Bengal in Panchayat Election. TMC candidate killed an independent Muslim candidate in North 24, Parganas dist. TMC knows only language of violence, murder and booth capturing. CM @MamataOfficial along with @CEOWestBengal is responsible for these murders.”
He further tweeted about the people’s protest against Mamata Banerjee, along with a video, wherein a woman could be seen allegedly holding poison and threatening to consume it, if Central Forces are not deployed at their booth.
He tweeted, “People are fed up with the Didi’s ways of murdering the democracy in the state. Woman is seen holding ‘poison’ in hand & threatens of consuming it if Central Forces are not deployed at their booth. @CEOWestBengal.”
At 12:03 PM, he tweeted that he visited the booth no. 176, Sukhdevpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, where the deployed police personnel asked him to save them from the goons.
He tweeted, “I visited the booth No 176,Sukhdevpur, Dakshin Dinajpur today.Police personnel told that save us from these goons. These goons are taking all measures to rig this election. They aren’t even sparing police personnel. This is the shocking reality of Didi’s ruling. @CEOWestBengal.”
He further tweeted about ballot papers found in a pond at Dinhata. He alleged that this is how the panchayat elections are taking place in West Bengal and all electoral processes are being violated. He wrote, “Ballot papers found in a pond at Dinhata. This is how Panchayat elections are taking place. All electoral processes are being violated. Where is ‘Hack EVM’ gang now? Is this why CM Mamata Banerjee and her like targets EVM too?”
The panchayat elections in West Bengal are witnessing numerous allegations about booth capturing and violations of ballot boxes. Sukanta Majumdar shared a video of a person running away with a ballot box, asking if this is the kind of election the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal conducts. He alleged that it would have been better to declare results without going through the exercise, stating that precious lives would have been saved.
He tweeted, “A person is seen running away with the ballot box in the Panchayat election. If this is the kind of election @CEOWestBengal conducts, better to declare the result without even having this exercise. At least precious lives would be saved.”
Majumdar shared a video of a goon threatening people with a country-made pistol, with his friends throwing bricks at them to chase them away. He claimed that this is the reason why Mamata Banerjee opposed the deployment of Central Forces in the state.
He tweeted, “The reason why Didi opposed the central forces .. so that his goons can openly use the gun at booths.”
He shared a video of a burning ballot box from the polling booth in Baranachina, Dinhata, Cooch Behar. He alleged that the ballot box was set on fire by TMC workers.
He tweeted, “Shame on CM @MamataOfficial and @CEOWestBengal!! Ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire allegedly by TMC goons. There is no stoppage of TMC hooliganism today.”
He further uploaded a video of polling booth officials talking about their fear. He alleged that Mamata Banerjee, along with the CEO of West Bengal is responsible for the “murder of democracy.”
He tweeted, “If Didi hasn’t opposed the deployment of central forces, polling officials wouldn’t have this fear. She along with @CEOWestBengal is responsible for the today’s murder of democracy.”
He shared a video of TMC goons, who have captured a booth, casting all votes. He called it a mockery of the electoral process. He tweeted, “No need of any voter to come to the polling booth when TMC goon himself can cast all the votes !! This is open mockery for the electoral process. Today’s day will be the darkest chapter of the WB democracy.”
Majumdar further shared a video of a BJP worker beaten up for protesting against TMC’s alleged rigging of panchayat elections and bogus voting. He tweeted, “Bhaipo’s Diamond Harbour Model… If you protest against rigging and bogus voting, you will be beaten up!! Same happened with the BJP Karyakrta today. Shame on CM @MamataOfficial and @CEOWestBengal!”
The West Bengal BJP Chief shared a video of police recovering a ballot box from a drain in North 24 Parganas district. He tweeted, “Police recovers a ballot box from a drain in North 24 Pargana district. No where in the country we see this kind of open mockery of the democracy like in West Bengal. How can you ensure now that this election is free and fair ? @CEOWestBengal”
Congress Leader Moves Calcutta High Court
West Bengal’s Opposition Parties stand united in voice against the alleged violence perpetrated against their workers by the ruling TMC during the West Bengal Panchayat Elections. Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi has made a representation before the Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice, TS Sivagnanam, seeking an urgent hearing to declare the ongoing panchayat elections null and void on account of large-scale violence and killings.
It is reported that till noon about 6 people were killed in West Bengal during the panchayat elections, which started at 7 AM, and another three in the alleged poll-related violence since midnight. The Congress leader has sought the constitution of a special bench for an urgent hearing on July 8. “I have prayed that the court take suo motu cognisance of the violence and killings and violation of the high court’s earlier orders to ensure free and fair polls,” he said.
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