17 killed as violence mars panchayat polls

Kolkata/Berhmapore: West Bengal witnessed massive bloodbath during the one-phase panchayat elections on Monday as violent clashes between ruling and Opposition parties reportedly claimed 17 lives and left several others injured across the districts. Even the cops were not spared.

Bombs and bullets flew freely around the polling booths while streetfight became the common scene in most places puncturing the myth of security arrangements during the polling. The rule of the West Bengal state election commission, which conducted the rural polls, was hardly visible as the situation span out of control.

The Opposition parties accused the Trinamul of uncleashing the violence and adopting electoral malpractices including rigging.

Concerned over the turbulent situation in the state the ministry of home affairs have sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee government.

Worried over the violence, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi is also going to send a report to the Centre, according to sources in Raj Bhavan.

Unlike previous polls, this time violence however broke out much before the polling began. The most gruesome among the killings took place at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas.

A couple was burnt to death late on Sunday night. The victims— Debu Das, a CPI(M) worker, and his wife: Usha— were sleeping at home in Budhakhali village of Namkhana. At around 11.30 pm a group of armed Trinamul workers attacked and torched their home. The couple failed to escape.

Debu’s son Dipankar claimed that his father was facing pressure from the Trinamool to switch to the ruling party and he was also threatened with dire consequences to not get involved during the poll. At Kultali a Trinamool worker, Arif Ali Gazi was shot dead by the SUCI supporters. Arif received the bullet injuries on his left chest.

At Mandirbazar another Trinamul worker: Khokan Baidya was hacked to death. At Shantipur in Nadia a Trinamul worker: Sanjit Pramanik of Sarbanandapara was found murdered beside National Highway no 34 in the afternoon. He was in the motorbike-borne group which allegedly undertook violence near a booth at Pabna Adibasipara.

Angry villagers caught Sanjit and dragged him down from the two-wheeler. They beat him to death before throwing away the body roadside. At Bilkumari village of Nakashipara, another Trinamul worker: Bhola Dafadar (62) was killed by an independent candidate’s aides shot him dead when he was returning home after casting his ballot. At Tehatta a voter: Krishnagopal Sarkar (58) went to cast his vote at booth in South Jitpur village of Betai. He was injured after he was caught in a clash between the Trinamool and BJP workers. He was rushed to Tehatta Sub Division Hospital from where he was later shifted to Shaktinagar District Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

At Nandigram of East Midnapore two more CPI(M) workers: Apu Manna and Joggeshwar Ghosh were shot dead at around 1 pm. A gang of miscreants came on motorcycles to booth no 40 at Gopalpur in Khodambari and hurled bombs before opening fire on the duo. With bullet injuries the two CPI(M) workers fell to death. 15 others were injured.

At Nowda in Murshidabad, an independent candidate’s relative Shaheen Sheikh (25) was shot dead allegedly by the Trinamul workers at Nowda, after he tried to resist them from capturing the booth at Patikabari Basic Primary School.

At Kumarpur village in Beldanga a BJP worker: Tapan Kumar Mondal (55) was shot dead by the Trinamool workers when he was going to cast his ballot. At Amdanga in North 24 Parganas, a CPI(M) worker: Taimur Gayen died after the Trinamool workers hurled bombs on him when he was going to cast his vote alongwith others.

A Trinamul worker Ujjal Shur was killed during a clash at Habra in the same district. At Raiganj in North Dinajpur a man, Amrita Saha, who was a relative of Trinamool candidate Shipra Saha was shot dead by a gang of motorcycle-borne miscreants. At Kushmandi in South Dinajpur a BJP worker Bishu Tudu was shot dead by a group of motorcycle-borne Trinamul workers outside a booth. In the same district a Trinamul worker Mohiruddin Mondal died after some bombs he was carrying with others exploded at Tapan area. In Coocbehar another voter Dulal Bhowmik was beaten to death by the Trinamool workers. The victim was present at the booth at Gopalpur which was attacked by the ruling party workers.