The repolling in 696 polling stations across the state passed off peacefully yesterday with 69.80 per cent people exercised their franchise till 5pm, said senior officials of State Election Commission. The districts where repolling was held in 19 districts, included Murshidabad, Nadia, Birbhum, South 24-Parganas, Purulia, Bankura among others.
However, the reports and seriousness of violence coming so far had been negligible compared to what it was on the polling day on Saturday, when a number of violencerelated deaths were reported in the first two hours of polling. There were adequate central armed forces both within and outside booths where the polling was going on.
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Several police officers and policemen were seen approaching the voters at their residence and offering to escort them to the polling stations. Three people, a CPM cadre in Ketugram in East Midnapore and two in Nadia died on Monday. Kunal Ghosh, state general secretary of Trinamul Congress said the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is instigating the BJP cadres to do violence. Trinamul Congress tweeted: “BJP Bengal has crossed all limits of barbarity in the ongoing Panchayat election in LoP@ Suvendu WB’s home district, Purba Midnapore.
One day Mr Adhikari incites BJP workers to throw away ballot boxes. Following his orders, 2 days later they start bombarding the polling site. After all this he has the audacity to blame us for the law and order crisis that he himself is bent on creating. Hungry for power, he has completely disregarded human lives.” Meanwhile, Trinamul Town Congress president Chanchal Khara was critically injured allegedly by BJP workers this morning.
He is likely to be brought to the SSKM hospital for treatment. In Nadia, a police constable was attacked by BJP supporters. Although on late Sunday night, the West Bengal State Election Commission had issued a notification claiming that there will be fresh polling for 697 booths on Monday morning it was learnt that the number has been reduced by one
