Bengal Panchayat Polls: 18 Deaths so far; Will Tomorrow’s Voting go the 2018 way?

Kolkata: West Bengal is set for polling in the panchayat elections tomorrow, July 8. And at the end of the one-month period for filing nominations and campaigning, 18 people have been killed. Fear of further loss of life on polling day, therefore, cannot be ruled out.

Prior to the announcement of the panchayat elections, the leaders of various political parties conveyed the message of non-violence. However, this was not reflected in reality. In the pre-voting phase, the loss of 18 lives in pre-poll violence doesn’t bode well for Saturday’s voting, despite the court ordering the presence of Central forces.

The state has seen clashes erupting whenever the Opposition has challenged the ruling party (Trinamool Congress or TMC). The panchayat elections of 2023 are no exception. After change of government in 2011, this is the first time that the ruling TMC is facing resistance and a tough challenge from Left Front, which is in alliance with Congress. Although the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is alos in the battlefield, this time the big challenge for TMC and BJP is the Left Front and its alliance partners.

Going by experience, village votes play a significant role in determining the consolidation of power in West Bengal politics. The panchayat always was the first step toward power, therefore, this is where the political fight began. In 2018, TMC was able to gain support in an almost unilateral manner, including voter intimidation, forcing withdrawal of nominations, abstention, and manipulation of counting centres, say Left sources.

However, this time the Left entered the field with preparedness, so TMC had to face resistance. Over time, resistance spread. During the nomination process, there were protests in Bhangar-Canning, South 24 Parganas; Raninagar-Domkal, Murshidabad; Dinhata, Cooch Behar; Chopra, North Dinajpur; Birbhum, North 24 Parganas; Purulia and Malda.

Statistics show that in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas continues to dominate in terms of the number of fatalities from the start of the nomination process to the conclusion of the campaign. On June 15, the final day for filing nominations, a fight broke out between TMC and the Indian Secular Front or ISF, claiming three lives. One of them was Mohiuddin Mollah (24), an ISF member. Rashid Mollah (34) and Raju Sardar (32) were TMC workers. Following the incident, TMC’s armed workers reportedly encircled the area under the pretence of receiving nominations, ISF MLA of Bhangor Naushad Siddiqui has claimed.

Chopra of North Dinajpur saw violence the same day. There, alleged TMC-sheltered miscreants were accused of firing at a Left-Congress procession going to submit nominations in the Kanthalbari area. A Communist Party of India (Marxist) worker, Mansoor Alam, died after being shot in the head. Seven people were also injured. Among them were women and children, as per reports.

On June 15, a local president of TMC was killed in Hojbibidanga of Nabagram in Murshidabad. According to local sources, the name of the deceased is Mozammel Sheikh (42). He was shot in the head and killed.

Trinamool was accused of murdering Congress worker Phulchand Sheikh in Murshidabad's Khargram on the first day of filing nominations. After this, during the nomination withdrawal phase, on June 17, a TMC leader, Mustafa Sheikh, was beaten to death in Sujapur, Malda, and an allegation was made against the Congress.

On June 17 late night, TMC was accused of murdering a BJP worker named Shambhu Das (27) in Cooch Behar's Dinhata. Shambhu’s relative, Bishakha Das, is the BJP candidate for Tiyadhar in the panchayat polls.

On June 24, Alim Sheikh died in a bomb blast at Beldanga in Murshidabad. On July 2, Trinamool activist Paritosh Mandal died in an explosion in Haroa, North 24 Parganas. Locals claim he died due to an accidental explosion while making a bomb.

Another person was killed in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, on June 27. According to local sources, a Trinamool supporter was killed in a Trinamool-BJP clash in Zaridharla. According to the police, the deceased's name is Babu Haque (34). Allegedly, he was shot and hacked to death.

On July 1, Basanti in South 24 Parganas saw tension due to political violence. Youth Trinamool activist Ziarul Mollah (42) was shot dead in Fulmalancha village of Basanti. The family claimed that the murder was due to factional conflict.

On July 3, the body of BJP booth general secretary Bankim Hansda of the Henslar Kendadi area of Manbazar-2 block of Purulia was recovered from the river bank. According to the family, Bankim had left his house in the afternoon the previous day. The next morning, the villagers found Bankim lying dead by the river.

On July 4, a 17-year-old boy named Imran Hossain was killed in a political clash in Deganga, North 24 Parganas. According to local sources, he went to a Trinamool procession with his parents. Allegedly, on their way back, ISF supporters suddenly started pelting bricks, mortar, and bombs on them. At that time, a bomb hit Imran's chest. He fell down and died.

Also, the body of a BJP worker named Dilip Mahara was recovered from Serenda village in the Hinglo area of Mohammadbazar, Birbhum, on Thursday. Dilip's wife, Chitre Mahara, is contesting as an independent candidate in this panchayat poll.

The body of a person named Kamal Sheikh was recovered from a field in the Maheshpur area of Beldanga, Murshidabad. Locals alleged he died in the explosion while making bombs. Independent supporter Alfaz Halder was injured in a clash with the Trinamool while campaigning in Kulpi, South 24 Parganas, on Monday, July 3. He died in a hospital in Kolkata on Thursday.

On the morning of July 7, one person was killed in a clash in Raipur village of Herampur area of Raninagar, Murshidabad. According to local sources, the name of the deceased is Arvind Mondal (45). He was a Congress worker. His brother is a candidate for the Hirampur region in the panchayat elections. Allegedly, this morning, the Congress candidate's elder brother was attacked by miscreants under the auspices of the ruling party.

Sujan Chakraborty, a CPI(M) central committee member, said, "Trinamool has been terrorising continuously since before the nomination process. However, opposition is growing everywhere. There is no climate of peace in which to conduct this vote.”

Saturday is election day for the three-tier panchayats' 73,887 seats in 341 blocks.

People in the state are eagerly awaiting the elections to see if it throw up any signs of change. But, the key question is: Will the polling be peaceful or will it be bloody, as in 2018?