The prevalence of violence during elections in Bengal is a distressing reality that has plagued the region. Sadly, it has become so commonplace that citizens now hope for a free and fair election every time they go to vote. On June 21, the Calcutta High Court observed that if violence in the panchayat polls continues, the elections should stop.

On July 11, elections are to be held for the three tiers of the panchayati system, which include Gram Panchayat, Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad. Since the poll dates were announced on June 8, nine people have lost their lives and they include workers from the TMC, BJP, Congress, CPM and ISF.

Places such as North 24 Paraganas, South 24 Paraganas, Murshidabad and Birbhum have all been affected by violence.

Meanwhile, the blame game continues. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has blamed the State Election Commission for the ongoing violence. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that her party has had no role in the ongoing violence.

But violence isn’t restricted to the current regime. The 2003 panchayat polls during the Left rule were the bloodiest in decades. The trend continued under the TMC. In the 2018 panchayat polls, the TMC won 34 per cent of the seats unopposed, but more than ten people died in poll-related violence.

To monitor the elections, central forces have started arriving in Bengal. The Calcutta High Court had even ordered for a CBI probe amidst the deteriorating situation.

The West Bengal government recently appealed against the High Court’s decision to get the CBI to look into claims of manipulation in the panchayat election nomination process. After hearing the case, the Division Bench decided to temporarily halt the CBI investigation that Justice Amrita Sinha had previously ordered.

What’s at stake here? Some 74,000 seats? It’s the life of the common people, for which there seems to be scant regard.

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