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Poll Violence Yet Again In Bengal!




The year 2023 witnessed a diverse range of elections taking place across India. Now, it is the turn of West Bengal, as the state prepares for the Panchayat Elections 2023, scheduled to take place on July 8.

But, West Bengal Elections are yet again tarnished by widespread violence.

Here's what you need to know!

Reported Violence in Bengal

The upcoming Panchayat Elections in West Bengal hold the fate of approximately 73,000 panchayat representatives. Unfortunately, the state has already witnessed numerous instances of violence prior to the polls.

Disturbingly, various dangerous weapons such as bombs, guns, pipes, cricket stumps, lathis (batons), and bamboo sticks have been used by both ruling and opposition parties to incite violence.


History of Poll Violence in Bengal

The outbreak of violence during the election season in Bengal was expected, given its history.

The roots of electoral violence can be traced back to the time when the Left party was in power.

Despite being in office since 2011, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's government also failed to fulfill their pledge of curbing political violence.


Deadly History of Poll Violence

The conflicts are not only limited between rival parties but happen intra-party too, some of them resulting in bloodshed & brutal deaths.

In the 2003 Panchayat Elections, 36 people were killed, or even worse, in the 2013 Panchayat Elections which saw the death of 49 people, even though the elections were held under the supervision of central forces.

Why is the violence rate so high?

The crux of the main violent acts stems from the attempts to dissuade the rival parties & their candidates from filing their nominations for Panchayat Elections.

The parties resort to the use of bomb attacks and other substantial tools of firepower to stop the rival candidates and the parties from filing for seats.

The window for the nomination filing process is also tiny, so the parties are usually in an instant to file nominations for their desired seats and their rivals are creating violent interventions in an attempt to stop them from filing their nominations.

These acts make it problematic to hold a secure and transparent mandate in West Bengal and are in blatant violation of the core principles of democracy.

Voters get intimidated & threatened

Despite the ongoing violence, voter turnout in West Bengal has remained consistently high, ranging from 72% to 75% in previous years, with occasional spikes.

However, allegations suggest that party workers, acting as self-appointed enforcers, employ tactics like threats and intimidation to ensure voters cast their ballots in favor of their respective parties. 



High Court intervened!

The Calcutta High Court has taken notice of the alarming situation in West Bengal and instructed the State Election Commission (SEC) to request central forces and install CCTV cameras to address violence and potential attacks on voting day.

The Court has specifically ordered the deployment of central forces in areas where the state police presence is insufficient.

Mamata govt challenges the HC

Tragically, four individuals lost their lives on the day of the nomination filing deadline, the day on which the high court ordered.

Mamata Banerjee led Bengal government and the State Election Commission on Saturday jointly moved the Supreme Court challenging the deployment of central forces during panchayat polls in the state, ordered by the Calcutta High Court.



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