BJP vote share dips in West Bengal rural polls

Amit Shah alleges bloodcurdling violence in rural polls, Trinamool says most of the dead are its party supporters

The party is facing another challenge, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress and Indian Secular Front are breathing down its neck with a combined vote share of 20.98 %. File | Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar

The vote share of the Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) has registered a sharp decline in the West Bengal panchayat polls. The main Opposition party in the State  received22.88 % of votes in the rural polls, a sharp decline from about 38% votes registered in the 2021 Assembly polls.

The party is facing another challenge, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress and Indian Secular Front are breathing down its neck with a combined vote share of 20.98 %. 

Shah claims BJP did well

Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah on Friday tried to boost the morale of BJP workers by saying that it doubled its seat tally from the previous election indicating a significant rise in the trust placed by the people.

“Even bloodcurdling violence in West Bengal could not stop the BJP from putting up a stellar performance in the Panchayat Election. The BJP nearly doubled its seat tally from the previous election indicating a significant rise in trust. This shows that people’s affection lie with PM @narendramodiJi-led BJP, and will surely lead the party to meteoric heights in Lok Sabha and assembly polls,” Mr. Shah tweeted.

Earlier in the day State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar met the Home Minister and “apprised him about the political situation and panchayat elections’ in the state.

Trinamool counter

The Trinamool Congress responded by saying that a majority of those killed in the violence were the ruling party’s supporters. “Having failed to fight us fair and square, the BJP resorted to dirty tricks and unleashed unspeakable violence on Trinamool Congress workers. Out of the 19 people killed in election-related violence on Saturday, at least 12 were our party workers and candidates,” Trinamool Congress tweeted from its official handle sharing the list of those killed.

 While the State government maintains that 19 persons have been killed, more than 40 people have lost their lives in the violence.

“At least 600 companies of central forces were deployed and yet our people were massacred. And now HM @AmitShah is basking in his short-lived glory that was earned at the cost of the lives of TMC party workers and candidates,” the Trinamool Congress said. The party said that it won nearly 80% (2,641 of 3,317) gram panchayats and 92% (313 of 341) panchayat samitis.

During the rural polls the BJP failed to perform in areas like north Bengal and south west Bengal where it won seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly polls. The BJP won 220 gram panchayats and six panchayat samities and could not win a single zilla parishad.