TMC claims three workers killed, two injured from gunshots; voting underway

Today’s West Bengal panchayat elections are planned to take place under tight security amid a pre-election violence environment. Voting has begun for the first round of Panchayat elections. The SEC (State Election Comission) has taken preventive measures by sending more centralised forces to keep the peace throughout the election. 

This action was taken in reaction to violent incidents that took place in the state before the rural elections. There will be just one round of voting, and the results will be tallied on July 11. Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata Banerjee, was able to win an impressive 34% of seats in the 2018 panchayat elections without facing any opposition. Elections, nevertheless, were unfortunately dominated by distressing violent episodes that affected the voting process.

Check the latest updates on West Bengal Panchayat Election here:

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7.10 am: Voting started for 63,229 seats of Gram Panchayat, 9,730 of Panchayat Samiti and 928 of Zilla Parishad.

7.20 am: At Baravita Primary School in Coochbehar’s Sitai, voting booth was vandalised as ballot papers were set on fire. 

7.30 am: North 24 Parganas Governor CV Ananda Bose was halted by a few CPI(M) candidates as they discussed their different problems with him on the way to a polling venue in Basudebpur.

7.40 am: Residents of Purba Medinipur district’s Nandigram Block 1 claim that they will abstain from voting until central forces are stationed at booths 67 and 68 in the Mahammadpur No. 2 neighbourhood.

#WATCH | West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Residents of Nandigram Block 1 of Purba Medinipur district say that they are boycotting the election until Central forces are deployed at booth numbers 67 & 68 in Mahammadpur No. 2 area.

A voter, Govind says, “There is no Central force… pic.twitter.com/biiw5CEdrI
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

8.00 am: Sateshuddin Sheikh, a 52-year-old TMC worker, was killed in Khargram, Murshidabad. His corpse has been taken to a hospital for an autopsy. Phoolchand, a Congress employee, was also murdered during the Panchayat election nomination procedure in Khargram, and Governor CV Ananda Bose met with his family yesterday.

8.10 am: In Rejinagar, Tufanganj, and Khargram, three members of the All India Trinamool Congress party were killed, while two others were shot and injured in Domkol.

Shocking and tragic incidents send shockwaves through the voting community.

Three of our party workers have been murdered in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram and two have been left wounded from gunshots in Domkol.

The @BJP4Bengal, @CPIM_WESTBENGAL and @INCWestBengal have been…
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 8, 2023

8.20 am: West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose announced on Friday that he and his staff will be out on the streets throughout voting. Describing the situation, he said that the panchayat elections will be a “fight between ballots and bullets” and committed to overview the situation in the state and take appropriate action.

9.00 am: Abdullah, a booth agent for an independent candidate, was murdered in Pirgachha, in the district of North 24 Parganas. The husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi is allegedly responsible for the murder, according to villagers who protest and call for the arrest of the suspects. The police investigation is underway.

#WATCH | West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Abdullah, the booth agent of an independent candidate killed in Pirgachha of North 24 Parganas district. Villagers stage a protest and demand the arrest of the accused and allege that the husband of TMC candidate Munna Bibi is behind the… pic.twitter.com/XHu1Rcpv6j
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023

9.30 am: Assailants attacked a polling station in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar, killing Madhav Vishwas, the polling agent for a BJP candidate. After suffering injuries, the candidate was hospitalised, and the voting was stopped at the polls. Candidate Maya Barman claims that “TMC goons murdered my agent by throwing a bomb at him. They assaulted me as well”, ANI reported.

West Bengal #PanchayatElection | Madhav Vishwas, the polling agent of a BJP candidate (in picture) killed in an attack by hooligans, on a polling booth in Falimari gram panchayat of Cooch Behar. The candidate is admitted to a hospital after sustaining injuries, voting suspended… pic.twitter.com/E947kWmmVj
— ANI (@ANI) July 8, 2023