Due to the violence that occurred during the Panchayat elections in West Bengal, the West Bengal State Election Commission ordered a repoll.
The repoll will be in 697 booths across 19 districts. The highest number of booths requiring repolling is in Murshidabad with 175 booths, followed by Malda with 110 booths, and Nadia with 89 booths. The repolling will take place on Monday, starting at 7 AM and ending at 5 PM.
It’s unfortunate that the initial polling on Saturday was marred by large-scale violence, resulting in the loss of 17 lives. Election violence is a serious concern that undermines the democratic process and hampers the peaceful exercise of voting rights. It is essential for authorities to ensure a safe and secure environment for elections to take place and for the will of the people to be expressed without fear or intimidation.
The Calcutta High Court, in response to concerns about Bengal post-poll violence, ordered the central paramilitary forces to remain on alert for ten days after the declaration of results had expressed concerns about the potential impact of such violence on the public and called for the deployment of central forces to prevent any untoward incidents.
Both the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition parties have accused each other of booth-capturing and violence.