WB Panchayat Poll Violence: ‘Elections must be held through ballots not bullets’ says Governor Ananda Bose

Governor CV Ananda Bose said on Saturday that elections must be held using ballots rather than firearms and that the day should be regarded as the most sacred for democracy in the midst of reports of violence in the West Bengal panchayat elections.

Governor CV Ananda Bose on Saturday said, “Elections must be held through ballots not bullets and the day should be considered as the most sacred for democracy.”

Numerous violent occurrences have been recorded from various state districts. Bose was stopped earlier in the day by a few CPI(M) candidates while he was en route to cast his ballot in the North 24-Parganas. The CPI(M) candidates spoke with the Governor about their worries.

“I have been in the field right from the morning…People requested me and stopped my motorcade on the way. They told me about the murders happening around them, told me about the goons not allowing them to go to the polling booths…It should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy…The election must be through ballots and not bullets,” the Governor said while talking to the reporters here.

Voting booths all around the State have reported multiple instances of ballot box and ballot paper looting as well as destruction. The Trinamool Congress, which is in power, has been charged by the Bharatiya Janata Party with involvement in the occurrences.

“Bloodshed in West Bengal in Panchayat Election. TMC candidate killed an independent Muslim candidate in North 24, Parganas dist. TMC knows only language of violence, murder and booth capturing. CM @MamataOfficial along with @CEOWestBengal is responsible for these murders,” BJP state chief Sukanta Majumdar said.

3,341 gramme panchayats and 58,594 village panchayat election centres are located in West Bengal. The Gramme Panchayat level has 63,239 seats, the Panchayat Samiti level has 9730 members, and the Zila Parishad level has 928 seats.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) gained 34% of the seats in the panchayat elections of 2018, which also featured a number of violent incidents, without any opposition. In the elections of 2023, Trinamool Congress also won a large number of seats without any opposition.