Bengal Panchayat Polls: Violence by Alleged TMC Men Mars Nomination Filing Phase

Kolkata: Violence broke out in different parts of the state on Monday as alleged Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters tried to prevent Opposition candidates from filing their nominations for the panchayat elections.

In Minakha of North Parganas district, Soma Das Chakraborty, a leader of the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) and youth leader Rana Roy were brutally attacked by alleged TMC supporters, said Left Front sources. The men reportedly encircled the local Minakha office of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and beat up the two leaders with sticks and bamboo poles, some eyewitnesses told NewsClick.

Chakraborty received a head injury while Roy’s arm was reportedly fractured in the violence unleashed by the miscreants. A few other CPI(M) workers were also injured.

The incident took place when Left workers had assembled in the office and were preparing to submit their nominations for the panchayat elections.

The schedule of the panchayat elections to be held on July 8, was announced on June 8 by the State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha. From the next day, Opposition workers and leaders have been facing attacks by alleged TMC workers in several areas. Despite this, the Left workers have been braving the onslaught in various districts while filing nominations.

In a statement on Monday, AIDWA accused TMC workers of earlier also attacking Left supporters and activists in Murshidabad, Kakdwip , East Burdwan and in North 24 Parganas districts.

Reacting to Monday’s incident, CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty told NewsClick that in the run-up to the elections, “TMC hooligans are holding the state to ransom and are creating ruckus before BDO (block development officer) offices where the nomination papers are being submitted.”

“It seems that the election commission is ill-prepared to face this onslaught. But TMC should keep it in mind that this time it is not 2018 but 2023. (In 2018, 34% panchayat seats went uncontested as the Opposition was forced to withdraw their candidates from the fray in these seats by TMC workers),” he added.

Murshidabad also witnessed significant violence during the nomination process. On June 9, a fight broke out in Raninagar I Block between CPI(M) and Trinamool workers. The CPI(M) has alleged that local TMC leaders arrived during the nomination process and threatened Left workers to leave the area. However, CPI(M) workers fought back and forced the TMC men to flee.

Iqbal Haq, a CPI(M) leader in Raninagar I Block, said, "TMC people gathered local anti-social elements and tried to disrupt the nomination process." 

On the same day, a Congress worker from Khargram Block, Murshidabad, was allegedly murdered by TMC workers. The deceased migrant labourer Fulchand Sheikh’s mother, Serina Bibi, told reporters, "Local TMC people were forcing us to join their party, but we refused and told them that we would stay with Congress. So, they murdered my son." So far, the police have arrested three TMC workers in connection with the case.

On Sunday, Congress state president and Berhampore MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, visited Khargram and demanded justice for the family. He also wrote to the State Election Commissioner condemning the violence that occurred in Domkal on June 10.

In Domkal, during the gram panchayat election, a CPI(M) candidate, Siraj Molla, was stopped when he was going to file his nomination with his son Akhtar. Local TMC members had already gathered outside the Domkal BDO office. They harassed Siraj and Akhtar and forced them to leave, said local Left sources, Subsequently, CPI(M) and Congress workers unitedly marched together to file the nomination. There was a physical altercation with TMC members and eventually the nomination was filed. 

A local TMC leader, Basir Molla, was arrested at the scene with an illegal firearm in his possession. The police also filed an FIR against Left and Congress activists.

Mostafijur Rahman, CPI(M) Domkal area secretary, told NewsClick, "We requested the police to control the situation as we were going to file the nomination, but the police failed to disperse the mob. So, our workers took to the streets themselves and fought against the armed TMC activists."

On Monday, there was tight security outside many BDO offices.

(With inputs from Anirban Dey in Murshidabad.)