| 09 July 2023
In a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), Union Minister Smriti Irani condemned the violent clashes that took place during the West Bengal panchayat election on Saturday. Irani also directed her criticism towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning his acceptance of such incidents considering his party's recent alignment with the Opposition coalition in the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. The remarks came during a media interaction in Bhopal, where Irani expressed her concerns over the deteriorating state of democracy in West Bengal.
"The way people are witnessing the murder of democracy in the West Bengal panchayat polls, where people are being killed for asserting their democratic rights. The Congress is joining hands with the same TMC," said Irani, voicing her disappointment. She further raised questions about Rahul Gandhi's acceptance of a political alliance with a party responsible for wreaking havoc in West Bengal. Irani boldly asked, "Is it acceptable for the Gandhi family to join hands with them who are creating havoc in West Bengal? Does Rahul Gandhi accept this game of death?"
The violence that marred the West Bengal panchayat polls resulted in the loss of at least 20 lives, with several others sustaining injuries. Among the victims, there were 12 Trinamool Congress (TMC) members, two Communist Party of India (Marxist) members, and three workers each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress.
Multiple districts in West Bengal, including Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, North 24 Parganas, and Malda, experienced severe violence, with ballot boxes being vandalized and bombs being hurled at rivals in several villages. The pattern of violence observed during these three-tiered panchayat polls closely resembled the incidents that occurred during the 2018 panchayat elections, which resulted in a similar number of casualties.
Unsurprisingly, a heated blame game erupted among the political parties following the violent clashes. West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar wrote to the Union Home Minister, seeking intervention in the violence, stating that "democracy in West Bengal has been strangled to death, and free and fair elections are beyond imagination." The Congress party also criticized the ruling Mamata Banerjee government for the violent unrest, with the party's West Bengal Chief, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, accusing Banerjee of having "hands full of blood."
In response, the TMC accused the opposition of orchestrating the violence during the panchayat polls in West Bengal. Party spokesperson Kunal Gosh dismissed claims of widespread violence and deaths, stating, "A narrative is being spun by the opposition parties with the help of the Governor and a section of the media that elections in West Bengal are always violent." Gosh further argued that compared to previous elections, the incidents of violence and deaths had decreased significantly.
Addressing the concerns raised during the panchayat election, the State Election Commissioner (SEC), Rajiva Sinha, assured that complaints of vote tampering would be thoroughly investigated. Sinha also promised to make a decision on possible re-polling in some booths after receiving reports from observers and returning officers.
The violent clashes witnessed during the West Bengal panchayat election have once again highlighted the deep-rooted political tensions and concerns over the state of democracy in the region. As the blame game continues between political parties, it remains to be seen whether these incidents will have a lasting impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the overall political landscape of West Bengal.
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