West Bengal Panchayat Polls 2023: 13 Dead Amid Violence In Many Parts; TMC, BJP Blame Each Other

Voting for the 2023 West Bengal Panchayat elections begins

Voting on a total of 63,229 gram panchayat seats; 9,730 panchayat samiti seats; and 928 zilla parishad seats being held.

Voting underway for 2023 West Bengal Panchayat elections; visuals from a polling booth in Dinhata, Cooch Behar

Voting underway for 2023 West Bengal Panchayat elections; visuals from a polling booth in Nandigram The counting of votes for the panchayat polls will take place on July 11.

Voters standing in a queue outside a polling booth in Murshidabad to cast their vote for West Bengal Panchayat Elections The counting of votes for the panchayat polls will take place on July 11.

Polling booth at Baravita Primary School in Sitai, Coochbehar vandalised and ballot papers set on fire. Voting for Panchayat elections in West Bengal began at 7 am today.

On his way to a polling booth in Basudebpur of North 24 Parganas, Governor CV Ananda Bose stopped by a few CPI(M) candidates as they share their various issues with him. Governor stops and listens to them.

Voters queue up at a polling station in Basanti of South 24 Parganas district amid rainfall as they await their turn to cast a vote.

People queue up to cast their votes in Dinhata.

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 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..."

A 52-year-old TMC worker, Sateshuddin Sheikh killed in Khargram of Murshidabad. His body has been brought to a hospital for postmortem.

A Congress worker, Phoolchand was killed during the nomination process for Panchayat election in Khargram and Governor CV Ananda Bose met his family here yesterday.

"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," tweets All India Trinamool Congress

"In Nadia, CPI(M) miscreants shamelessly fired at an AITC candidate's husband in Narayanpur-1 Gram Panchayat, exposing the party's true colours. Crude bombs were also hurled at Hasina Sultana's husband and other AITC workers right before the polls began," tweets All India Trinamool Congress

Trigger Warning: Visuals can be disturbing for some viewers

BJP, CPI(M) & Congress are working hand in glove with each other to HARASS our party workers and spread VIOLENCE. We ask- Why are the Central Forces, who were deployed to protect the people during the elections, failing to maintain peace?: Kunal Ghosh, AITC Spokesperson

"Agents of Bengal’s opposition parties challenging Nephew Raj in Diamond Harbour were horrified to find that the ballot boxes had already been stuffed with votes for the TMC before the polls had begun," says BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta

TMC workers allegedly vandalised the house of a BJP worker in Mathabhanga area of Cooch Behar district.

Clashes broke out between Congress and TMC workers in Manikchak earlier today.

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 murder. Police personnel are present at the spot.

"Under the close supervision of Central Forces, the death toll keeps mounting! A devastating bomb attack claimed the life of our party worker in Manikchak, Malda," tweets AITC

AITC shares video of party candidate Shyamali Sabar from Jhargram being threatened by CPI(M) miscreants

BSF Personnel threatened the voters at Gitaldaha-II in Cooch Behar and tried to cause a hindrance in the polling process: AITC, visuals shared on Twitter

Blame game between parties continues as another polling agent killed.

BJP alleges TMC goons killed Madhav Vishwas, the polling agent of BJP candidate Maya Barman. "TMC goons hurled a bomb at my agent and killed him. They also attacked me," says Barman

"Another gruesome incident occurs in Murshidabad! One of our innocent Party workers was brutally attacked, his head hit by CPI(M) goons in Raninagar," tweets AITC. Party blames Central forces for failing to perform their duties

"When Election Commission and Govt collude and take a decision that the ruling TMC loot the election, then what is happening now will happen," says BJP leader Rahul Sinha

AITC alleges that Central Forces officials deployed at poll booths are harassing and trying to influence people to vote for BJP

BJP candidate shamelessly pours water into the ballot box in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, while the Central Forces, conveniently look the other way. Is this what they call 'fair elections'?: AITC

BJP MLA, Nikhil Ranjan Dey reacts to the killing of the polling agent in Coochbehar

"...Our party worker Mahadeb Biswas who was a polling agent was killed early morning by TMC goons...we will see them in High Court, we won't spare Rajiva Sinha (State Election Commissioner)," says Nikhil Ranjan Dey

Blatant act of violence displayed in Hasnabad, North 24 Parganas!: AITC shares visuals of violence at polling booth

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose says, "This is the most sacred day for democracy... Election must be through ballots and not bullets.."

BSF IG S.C. Budakoti arrives at the West Bengal State Election Commission to meet the Election Commissioner.

West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari reacts to the ongoing violence in the poll affected areas.

"This is not an election, this is death. There is a fire of violence across the state. Central forces have not been deployed. CCTVs are not operating. This is not voting but loot...This is the collusion of TMC goons and Police and that is why so murders are happening," says Suvendu Adhikari

West Bengal LoP and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari cast his vote for the panchayat election at a polling booth in Nandigarm

Ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire allegedly by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on here

Voting suspended at Indreshwar primary school in Dinhata after water was thrown into the ballot box

Amid incidents of violence during voting for the Panchayat election across the state, workers of West Bengal BJP protest outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata

Residents of Dhamsa in Hooghly throw two ballot boxes in a pond allegedly after scuffle between TMC and BJP workers at a polling booth. The residents allege that Central forces were not deployed at the centre.

In a dramatic incident caught on camera amid Bengal Panchayat polls on Saturday, a man, from Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar, was seen running away with a ballot box.