Page 21 - Election

There will be relentless fight against growing violence in Bengal: WB guv

The decision to hold re-polling followed widespread allegations of ballot box tampering and violence, resulting in losing at least 19 lives

WB Panchayat elections: Counting begins at 696 booths after re-polling

All counting venues will be manned by armed state police personnel and central forces, with prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC being imposed outside the venue to avoid any untoward incidents

CBIC issues SoP to check use of freebies to lure voters during elections

The CBIC has come out with detailed instructions for tax officers to implement the directions of the Election Commission with regard to the use of freebies, illicit cash, liquor and drugs to lure voters, and asked them to share information with other enforcement agencies. The GST and Customs officials will also be required to monitor the distribution of coupon-based or free fuel or cash for alluring prospective voters under the new Standard Operating Procedure (SoP). The officials would also monitor fuel consumption by candidates and parties and keep a tab on expenditure on food, hotels, parties, tent house etc. The GST officers would keep an extensive check on restaurant/eateries, marriage hall/ farm houses/ slaughter house/ meat house in the poll-bound area, said a detailed SoP issued by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). The GST and Customs officials would also set up "flying squads and static surveillance teams" for the effective conduct of road and transit

Repolling underway in 700 booths; BJP, TMC in war of words over violence

No major incident was reported as fresh polling was underway in nearly 700 booths in 19 districts of West Bengal where voting for the panchayat elections was declared void, officials said. The repolling was ordered in 696 booths by the State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday evening amid allegations of tampering with ballot boxes and the violence that left 15 people dead, they said. The repolling started at 7 am amid tight security with four central forces personnel deployed in each booth, besides state police. Till 1 pm, 30.54 per cent voter turnout was recorded. Voting started late in a few booths as ballot boxes did not reach on time, officials said. These booths will be given extra time to complete the polling, they said. "No major untoward incidents were reported from the districts where repolling is underway. A couple of stray incidents happened and those were managed by the police," an SEC official said. In Malda, locals blocked a booth in Dogachi in Raniganj panchayat i

West Bengal voters happy with re-poll under heavy security arangements

"Today, it feels like an election day. We can see the central forces today", said Anamika Mandal, who came to cast her vote at Tikiapara Primary High School in the Murshidabad district

Repolling begins in 19 districts of WB where elections were declared void

Repolling began at 7 am on Monday in 696 booths across 19 districts of West Bengal where voting for the panchayat elections was declared void amid allegations of tampering with ballot boxes and the violence that left 15 people dead, officials said. The repolling will be held till 5 pm amid tight security with four central forces personnel deployed in each of those booths, besides state police, they said. Among the districts where repolling was being held, violence-hit Murshidabad has the highest number of booths at 175, followed by Malda with 109, they added. Repolling was also being held at 89 booths in Nadia, followed by Cooch Behar (53), North 24 Parganas (46), Uttar Dinajpur (42), South 24 Parganas (36), Purba Medinipur (31) and Hooghly (29), officials said. No repolling was ordered in Darjeeling, Jhargram and Kalimpong districts, they said. The decision for repolling in these 696 booths was announced by the State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday evening after reviewing rep

WB governor arrives in Delhi, likely to meet Home Minister Amit Shah

Governor Bose is likely to call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the widespread violence during the panchayat polls in West Bengal

WB Panchayat Polls: BJP MP alleges ballot rigging, demands re-polling

He further alleged that ballot boxes are still missing, adding that TMC is attempting to capture the panchayats like they captured the government

BJP's Amit Malviya alleges 'Ballot Box' change by TMC in Bengal's Malda

The three-tier panchayat elections in 20 districts were marked by widespread violence, looting of ballots papers and rigging

West Bengal: Death toll in panchayat election violence rises to 15

The toll in the violence during panchayat elections in West Bengal rose to 15 after a person was found dead in South 24 Parganas, and two others succumbed to their injuries, officials said on Sunday. A person, identified as Abu Salem Khan, was found dead near a polling booth in West Gabtala in ??Kultali police station area. He had injuries on his head, they said. He was known to be a TMC worker in the area, locals said. Police said they are investigating the cause of the death. Tension was palpable in the area, and a large police contingent was deployed to prevent any further flare-up. Another TMC worker, identified as Azhar Lashkar, injured during violence in the district's Basanti area on Saturday night died at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, doctors who were treating him said. In Malda district's Baishannagar, TMC worker Motiur Rahman was stabbed outside a polling booth. The incident happened near KBC primary school in the Barkamat area, officials said. TMC alleged th

Bengal governor takes stock of panchayat polls, meets bomb-attack victim

As part of his assurance to monitor the situation in West Bengal where panchayat polls are being held, Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Saturday visited the residence of a person who was injured in a bomb attack in North 24 Parganas' Barasat-I subdivision. After speaking to his family members at Pirgachha, Bose went to the hospital in Barasat where the person is being treated and talked to doctors, an official said. "The Governor then arranged for the shifting of the person to city-based RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. He also took stock of the situation and enquired about polling," he told PTI. Bose, who was supposed to travel to Nadia district, was stopped near Basudebpur on Kalyani Expressway by supporters of the BJP and CPI(M) who complained about "vote looting" and urged him to take action. Bose tried calling officials of the state election commission (SEC) and police but could not because of mobile connectivity issues, the official said. He later stopped at a rest house at

Panchayat polls: TMC workers have been murdered, claims WB minister Panja

In a long Twitter post, TMC took on central forces for failing to ensure the safety and security of the people

Several people killed as West Bengal's rural areas vote in panchayat polls

Several people were killed in election-related violence in West Bengal as voting was underway on Saturday for the three-tier panchayat polls in the state, officials said. The polling started at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates, they said. BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district, they said. The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth he was stopped by TMC supporters, and as the situation escalated, they killed him. The TMC denied the allegations. The supporter of an Independent candidate died in Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district after he was beaten up overnight, police said. The deceased was identified as 41-year-old Abdullah. He died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital in the morning, Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukherjee said. Protesting against the killing, locals blocked t

WB polls: Polling booth vandalised, ballot papers set on fire in Coochbehar

Polling for panchayats in West Bengal began this morning under stringent security cover

Assembly polls: BJP picks in-charges for Raj, Chhattisgarh, MP, Telangana

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed union ministers and senior party leaders as in-charges for the upcoming state elections this year

Bengal Guv reaches Murshidabad to visit violence-hit areas ahead of polls

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose reached Murshidabad district to visit the violence-hit areas on Friday, a day before the rural polls in the state. He is expected to hold meetings with senior officers later in the day, a district official said. The governor reached Berhampore, the district headquarters, by train this morning and is expected to visit some places before returning to Kolkata this evening, he said. Bose will visit places like Domkal, Khargram, Navagram, and Beldanga, where clashes among political parties have been reported in the run-up to the rural polls. Meanwhile, fresh violence was reported in the Ranninagar area of Murshidabad, another district official said. The governor has previously visited Bhangar, Canning and Basanti in South 24 Parganas, and also in Cooch Behar district where clashes broke out between political parties. Bose had on Thursday alleged that State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha has failed in discharging his duties during the panchayat

With hopes for development, Bengal's hills ready to vote after 23 years

Residents of West Bengal's hills in the north are getting prepared to cast their votes in the July 8 panchayat polls after 23 years, even as nominees are doing last-minute canvassing before the trail ends on Thursday. Over the past one month, the candidates have walked to remote villages in their respective areas and listened to people's aspirations for development while sipping tea with them after being welcomed with traditional 'khada' (scarf) as a mark of respect. Despite being witness to violent bouts of agitation for Gorkhaland statehood, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts have largely been free from incidents of political violence so far in this election season, barring some isolated happenings, in stark contrast with the regular hurling of crude bombs and firing of bullets in the plains of West Bengal since the filing of nominations began a month ago. Roads, water, electricity, MGNREGA jobs, development of tourism and agriculture, corruption and minimum wages in tea and ...

Next Opposition meet of parties to be held in Bengaluru on July 17-18: Cong

The Congress announced on Monday that the next meeting of opposition parties will be held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal made the announcement on Twitter and said "we are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces". In a tweet, Venugopal said, "After a hugely successful all-opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023. We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward." Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had said the next opposition meet will be held in Bengaluru on July 13-14. Those dates were said to be clashing with the Assembly sessions in a few states. The first such meeting of opposition parties was held in Bihar's Patna on June 23.

EC launches portal for parties to file financial statements, contributions

The Election Commission on Monday came up with an online portal to allow registered political parties file their financial statements, including contribution reports and poll expenditure accounts, a move seen as an effort to bring in more transparency in disclosures made by political entities. The move is part of the poll panel's "3C strategy" comprising clean up, crackdown and compliance to strengthen transparency and accountability in the political funding and expenditure on which it had been working for a year now under Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, sources said. Political parties not intending to file the financial report through online mode will have to convey the reasons for not doing so in writing and may continue to file reports in hard copy format along with CDs or pen drive in the prescribed formats. "The Commission will, in turn, publish all such reports online, along with a letter of justification sent by the party for not filing financial statements online,"

Govt authorises sale of 27th tranche of electoral bonds from Monday

The decision comes ahead of assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Mizoram