KOLKATA: Bengal’s bloodied rural political turf Monday saw off a panchayat repoll in 696 booths with a preliminary turnout of more than 70% and relatively less disturbance compared to the weekend vote that was marred by clashes in which 16 people died.
The completion of polling after an atmosphere of violent antagonism since elections were notified on June 8 sets the stage for counting of votes on Tuesday to determine who gets what share of the 73,887 seats at stake — 63,229 in gram panchayats, 9,730 in panchayat samitis seats and 928 at the zilla parishads.
The entire set of victors among the 1.7 lakh candidates in the fray might not be known until Wednesday, officials of the State Election Commission said.
While the repoll was largely peaceful, the opposition alleged rigging and intimidation in a few pockets.
Polling in Murshidabad’s Raninagar, which had witnessed bombing during Saturday’s vote, went off peacefully as central forces kept watch.
Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar visited Tapan in North Dinajpur, where bombs had gone off overnight, and escorted some voters to the polling station. He then left for South Dinajpur’s Gangarampur after receiving reports of voters there facing intimidation.
Majumdar faced a blockade by Trinamool workers when he reached Gangarampur. On being barred from entering the area, the state BJP president took recourse to a sit-in.
In Cooch Behar’s Dinhata, central forces chased away a group wielding sticks near the booths. At Moyna in East Midnapore, the repoll was delayed as booths were kept locked beyond the scheduled 7am start. The house of a BJP candidate in Nadia’s Ranaghat was ransacked late Sunday, prompting the family to flee.
A 55-year-old man identified as Nabadeep Halder died of cardiac arrest, suspected to be a case of heatstroke, while standing in the queue at a booth in Sishu-Halderpara village under Ghoradaha 1 panchayat in Nadia’s Tehatta.
Three more people wounded in clashes on the day of the election or during campaigning died on Monday, taking the number of lives lost since the panchayat polls were announced to 41.
The completion of polling after an atmosphere of violent antagonism since elections were notified on June 8 sets the stage for counting of votes on Tuesday to determine who gets what share of the 73,887 seats at stake — 63,229 in gram panchayats, 9,730 in panchayat samitis seats and 928 at the zilla parishads.
The entire set of victors among the 1.7 lakh candidates in the fray might not be known until Wednesday, officials of the State Election Commission said.
While the repoll was largely peaceful, the opposition alleged rigging and intimidation in a few pockets.
Polling in Murshidabad’s Raninagar, which had witnessed bombing during Saturday’s vote, went off peacefully as central forces kept watch.
Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar visited Tapan in North Dinajpur, where bombs had gone off overnight, and escorted some voters to the polling station. He then left for South Dinajpur’s Gangarampur after receiving reports of voters there facing intimidation.
Majumdar faced a blockade by Trinamool workers when he reached Gangarampur. On being barred from entering the area, the state BJP president took recourse to a sit-in.
In Cooch Behar’s Dinhata, central forces chased away a group wielding sticks near the booths. At Moyna in East Midnapore, the repoll was delayed as booths were kept locked beyond the scheduled 7am start. The house of a BJP candidate in Nadia’s Ranaghat was ransacked late Sunday, prompting the family to flee.
A 55-year-old man identified as Nabadeep Halder died of cardiac arrest, suspected to be a case of heatstroke, while standing in the queue at a booth in Sishu-Halderpara village under Ghoradaha 1 panchayat in Nadia’s Tehatta.
Three more people wounded in clashes on the day of the election or during campaigning died on Monday, taking the number of lives lost since the panchayat polls were announced to 41.