There seems to be no end to the violence during rural polls in West Bengal. Almost 100 days after the results were declared, violence erupted again in six districts of the State on Monday over panchayat board formation. Four persons were killed in the violence.
A panchayat board is formed to govern an area under one gram panchayat in rural areas.
Boards for 80% panchayats were formed in May, days after the panchayat results were declared. But for the remaining 20% seats, the process of board formation started after August 24, when the Supreme Court ruled out repoll for these seats where the Trinamool Congress had won unopposed.
On Monday, four persons died in two districts -- Malda in north Bengal and Purulia in south-west. At the Gopalpur gram panchayat under Manikchak police station in Malda district, violence broke out between two factions of the TMC supporters over the election of the head of the respective panchayats. Salem Sheikh, a TMC supporter, was killed on the spot where Azharuddin Sheikh, another local, died of injuries. Sheikh was injured in a crude bomb explosion.
In Purulia, the situation in the Ghagra gram panchayat in Joypur area of the district turned volatile. BJP supporters clashed with TMC activists over electing the village pradhan and the police had to intervene. State BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the police opened fire at the protesting party supporters, killing two of them. The dead, according to the BJP, have been identified as Nirajnan Gope and Damodar Mondal.
Violence over board formation was also reported at Deganga in North 24 Parganas, Canning in South 24 Parganas, Belpharai in Jhragram and Falakata in Alipurduar district.
While in most of the districts, the clashes were a result of rival sections of the TMC trying to elect their candidate as gram pradhan, clashes at Belpahari took place between the BJP cadres and members of the Adivasi Samanvay Manch, allegedly backed by the outlawed CPI(Maoist).
On Saturday, TMC worker Lal Mohammad died of injuries in a crude bomb explosion in Uttar Dinajpur district. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged all political parties to maintain peace and said there was no need for such confrontation at the panchayat level.
“The panchyat elections are local elections. Three of our supporters have been killed, two of their (BJP) supporters are killed… In some places, for instance Purulia, there has been direct confrontation with the police, where our party people were not involved,” she told journalists at the State secretariat.
Ms Banerjee said that she has been ‘saddened’ by such incidents and added that 30 members of her party have been killed in panchayat polls.
Students attacked
Meanwhile, members of the Leftist outfit Young Bengal were allegedly assaulted by supporters of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad when they were distributing leaflets for their upcoming convention. Six members of Young Bengal were injured in the attack near Surendranath College in north Kolkata.
