Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 11 said that 133 individuals who feared for their lives sought refuge in Assam’s Dhubri district amid violence in West Bengal during panchayat polls.
“Yesterday, 133 individuals who feared for their lives due to violence in the panchayat election in West Bengal sought refuge in Dhubri District of Assam. We have provided them shelter in a relief camp, food, and medical assistance”, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared in a tweet.
The people have now taken shelter at Ronpagli MV School of Jhapusabari area in Dhubri district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma added.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the State Government had provided them with shelter in a relief camp, as well as food and medical assistance.
West Bengal State Election Commission on July 9 said the Police have confirmed 10 deaths in poll-related violence across the State.
The West Bengal State Election Commission stated that the Police confirmed 10 deaths in the poll-related violence on July 8 that broke out in several parts of West Bengal on the day of the Panchayat Polls.
“Police have confirmed 10 deaths in poll-related violence,” said the West Bengal State Election Commission on Panchayat polls.
On July 9, coming down heavily on the Mamata Banerjee Government over the widespread violence during the panchayat elections in West Bengal on July 8, Union Minister Nishith Pramanik said the single-phased polls were not a festival of the republic but a festival of death.
Multiple incidents of violence earlier on July 8 cast a long shadow on the conduct of the panchayat polls across the State. A person received fatal injuries after being hit by a crude explosive in the Phul Malancha polling booth in South 24 Pargana district.
“The person is feared dead, but the same hasn’t been confirmed by the doctors as yet. The crude bomb had struck the victim’s head. He was admitted to Basanti rural hospital (in the South 24 Parganas district),” Dibakar Das, the SDPO, said.
Ever since the Panchayat elections were declared in West Bengal, 17 people have been killed, and hundreds were injured in targeted political assassinations perpetrated by those running the State. The number of deaths would have been much higher, had it not been for the Central Forces deployed.
In Murshidabad district, one of the worst affected due to violence, TMC worker Babar Ali was killed in the Kapasdanga area. He was declared brought dead when he was brought to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital in Baharampur.
A TMC worker was killed in a crude bomb blast in Rejinagar in Murshidabad district on July 7. Another Trinamool worker was stabbed to death in Khargram in the district.
A Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker, Rajibul Hoque from Ausgram in East Burdwan district, succumbed to his injuries in NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. He was brought to the hospital after he was injured in a clash.
Trinamool booth president Devkumar Rai from East Midnapore’s Sonachura Gram Panchayat was also attacked.
In another incident of poll violence, CPI (M) activist Hafizur Rahman was injured after he was shot. The incident took place in Okrabari village in Cooch Behar district.
There were reports of booth capturing, damaging of ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia.
In the last panchayat elections in 2018, the TMC bagged around 34 per cent of the seats uncontested and won 90 per cent of the rest, amid allegations of violence. With cases of booth capturing and burning of the ballot boxes, it looks like the ruling party is repeating history.
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