West Bengal Panchayat Election 2023 Updates: Violence and Allegations overshadow the polls
Violence marred the West Bengal Panchayat Polls in 2023, resulting in 16 deaths, destruction of ballot boxes, and the use of bombs in several villages.
Violence marred the West Bengal Panchayat Polls in 2023, resulting in 16 deaths, destruction of ballot boxes, and the use of bombs in several villages. This is not uncommon in the state, as past elections, such as the 2003 panchayat polls, also witnessed high casualties, with 76 deaths throughout the process and over 40 on the day of elections. Similarly, the 2018 panchayat polls were marked by violence and a comparable number of fatalities.
The polling started at 7 am in the rural areas of the state, with 73,887 seats and approximately 5.67 crore people participating. By 5 pm, the voter turnout reached 66.28 percent. The State Election Commissioner, Rajiva Sinha, assured that complaints regarding vote tampering and incidents of violence would be thoroughly investigated. A decision on possible re-polling would be made after reviewing reports from observers and returning officers.
Sinha acknowledged that the highest number of violence-related complaints came from four districts and assured that these incidents would be considered during the review of the election process. Despite facing criticism from various political parties, the SEC stated that the decision on re-polling would be made on Sunday, following a comprehensive scrutiny and evaluation by observers and returning officers.
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