Poll violence and Bengal are two sides of the same coin, as we have repeatedly witnessed. Not one election has gone by in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled state that has not been marred by violence.

Central forces to remain in Bengal post-results

According to a senior official, in response to reports of post-poll violence in parts of West Bengal, the Bharatiya Election Commission (ECI) decided on Sunday to extend the stay of around 400 companies of central forces until 19 June. This decision followed a review of the current law and order situation in post-election West Bengal.

“The central forces will now remain until 19 June, primarily in sensitive areas, to ensure that law and order are maintained,” the official stated. The meeting also determined the deployment schedule for these forces. The poll panel initially planned to retain the central forces personnel until 6 June, two days after the scheduled vote counting.

Unprecedented poll violence in Bengal

The state has witnessed numerous instances of post-election violence that continue unabated. Here are some incidents of poll violence reported from Bengal:

1) BJP worker Hafizul Sheikh was brutally murdered by a mob of 10-11 Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons in Nadia district’s Chandpur village on 1 June.

2) At least ten people were injured in pre-poll violence that erupted in the Bhangar area of Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency on the eve of the polls. Jadavpur went to polls in the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

3) Bunty Mukherjee, a stringer (journalist) associated with the news agency ANI, suffered a severe head injury in a stone pelting incident in Jaynagar Lok Sabha constituency’s Canning area.

4) In the sixth phase of the election in Jhargram, TMC-backed goons roamed freely in several places. They even attacked BJP candidate Pranat Tudu. Besides Pranat Tudu, BJP candidates Hiranmay Chatterjee and Agnimitra Paul were also attacked. TMC goons blocked their convoys and hurled stones and bricks at them. 

5) According to reports, a clash broke out between supporters of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) at Bhangar in the Jadavpur constituency. Following the violent clashes, supporters of both parties hurled crude bombs at each other. In West Bengal’s South Paraganas, it is alleged that some of the polling agents were not allowed to sit in the polling booth, after which the mob barged into the polling station, snatched the EVM and VVPAT machines, and threw them into the pond.

6) After TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s rally, BJP worker Rathibala Ari was murdered in Nandigram. Armed TMC-backed goons allegedly attacked BJP workers in the Manasa Bazaar area of Nandigram’s Sonachura. 

7) Amid the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, chaos broke out in the Ghatal constituency after BJP’s agent was not allowed to enter the polling station by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons. BJP candidate (Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency) Hiranmoy Chatterjee reached the polling station to learn about the matter. His convoy was stopped by TMC goons, who prevented him from entering the Keshpur area by setting fire in the middle of the road. The TMC goons also gheraoed the vehicle of the BJP candidate and endangered his life.

8) BJP’s candidate from Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency, Rekha Patra, who led the women’s protest in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali against a section of local Trinamool Congress activists over alleged sexual harassment, was manhandled when she went to the Kharivanga area to meet local BJP activist Kalidas Bachar.  

9) West Bengal witnessed poll violence in the first four phases of the polling during the Lok Sabha elections and increased violence in the fifth phase. BJP candidate Arjun Singh said that TMC workers in Barrackpore have been intimidating voters, adding that they even threatened to kill him. He added, “They even threatened to shoot me.”

10) TMC goons attacked BJP MP Dilip Ghosh’s convoy in the fourth phase of the Loksabha elections. Ghosh, who won last time from the Medinipur Lok Sabha constituency, has been fielded by the BJP from the Bardhaman-Durgapur seat. As per reports, TMC goons pelted stones at his vehicle and raised slogans against him.

These are merely some instances of poll violence reported from Bengal. Even during the assembly polls, Bengal saw unprecedented pre-poll and post-poll violence. A fact-finding team headed by a retired High Court Chief Justice found that there were 15,000 incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal in which 25 people were killed and 7,000 women were molested. Given TMC’s violent history targeting opponents and common citizens, ECI is taking no chances and has deployed central forces that will stay guard till 19 June to prevent any untoward incident.

(Featured Image Source: India TV)