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Heavy violence at many places during West Bengal Panchayat elections.
Heavy violence at many places during West Bengal Panchayat elections.
News2News.in Explainer: In West Bengal, be it the three-tier panchayat elections or the assembly elections, violence is bound to happen. Yesterday i.e. on July 8, there was a lot of ruckus during the voting for the Panchayat Election in West Bengal. More than 10 people lost their lives in the violence during the elections. The opposition alleges that if violence continues in the elections, the state will be completely ruined. BJP has said that CM Mamta Banerjee fails to maintain law and order and she is only concerned about saving the chair. Contrary to the BJP’s allegations, if we talk about the picture of the state’s development, recently a report has come out, which shows that West Bengal is far ahead of many BJP-ruled states. Through today’s News2News.in explainer, along with knowing the reason for the violence in West Bengal, we will also understand the picture of the development work of Bengal.
The reason behind the violence in Bengal
The violence started soon after the state government announced the date for the Panchayat elections. The opposition openly opposed this and claimed that the 60,000 candidates for the election did not have enough days to file their nominations. Due to this, violent incidents took place at many places within the state in the following days. BJP, Left and Congress have accused TMC of preventing their candidates from filing nominations. TMC, on the other hand, claimed innocence and asked party workers to ensure violence-free elections. However, there were reports of clashes in West Bengal even on the day of voting.
Will panchayat elections be held again in West Bengal?
State Election Commissioner Rajeev Sinha has promised to review the complaints and conduct fresh elections in the places where the violence took place after receiving reports from supervisors and returning officers regarding the violence during the panchayat polls. He said that maximum incidents of violence during polling took place in four districts. All these districts will be taken into account while reviewing the election process. Re-polling in these districts will be decided on Sunday, July 9, when supervisors and returning officers will scrutinize and review the voting process.
Everyone condemned the deaths in election violence
More than 10 people lost their lives in the violence in West Bengal’s panchayat elections on Saturday. The opposition BJP and CPI(M) in the state in one voice alleged that the State Election Commission has not deployed central forces as per the orders of the Calcutta High Court. Had the central force been deployed, there would not have been so much violence in the state. Along with this, all parties have condemned the deaths due to violence.
What was the situation in the last panchayat elections
In 2018 TMC won more than 95% gram panchayats. 34% of these seats were uncontested, which is a record in the history of Bengal panchayat elections. Even then the opposition had alleged that they were not allowed to submit nominations. The TMC had faced criticism for large-scale violence and allegations of rigging in the elections. Questions were also raised on the role of the police. The following year saw a significant improvement in the ruling party’s performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, in which the BJP won 18 parliamentary constituencies. The best performance of the BJP in West Bengal so far has been shown in the Lok Sabha itself.
Why Panchayat elections are important
Panchayat elections are a litmus test for all political parties BJP, Trinamool Congress, Left and Congress alliance ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The TMC managed to return to power with a thumping majority in the 2021 assembly elections despite a high-decibel campaign by the BJP led by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. However, since then the ruling party has been continuously accused of corruption.
TMC leaders have been arrested in the SSC scam case and coal smuggling and cattle smuggling cases. The CBI has also started probing the alleged municipal corporation recruitment scam. Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee is under the scanner of CBI in connection with coal theft case and SSC scam. The politically important Rajbanshi community took out a protest rally in April following the death of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly raped. In such a situation, the results of the Panchayat elections will be an important indicator in telling which way the political wind is blowing in Bengal.
Violence in every election, still ahead in development
Even though violence comes with elections in West Bengal, West Bengal is not far behind in terms of development. The GDP growth of West Bengal is ahead of states like Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka. Several macroeconomic indicators have shown that the state has been able to pull itself up as compared to other states.
According to the central government data, Maharashtra registered a GDP growth rate of 5.66%, Rajasthan 5.75%, Uttar Pradesh 6%, Telangana 5.35%, Karnataka 7.05% and Punjab 5.32%, West Bengal 5.32% has been done which is more than other states.
ahead in industrial development
The state has also progressed in terms of industrial development. While Karnataka recorded a growth rate of 4.36%, Maharashtra 4.01%, Punjab 2.02%, Rajasthan 3% and Tamil Nadu 3.64%, West Bengal registered an industrial growth rate of 5.05%.
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