Toll in West Bengal panchayat poll violence rises to 23

The death toll in violence during the West Bengal panchayat elections in India increased to 23 on Tuesday.

At Ranaghat in Nadia, the husband of a Trinamool Congress candidate was dragged out his house and beaten to death.

Trinamool Congress supporters and leaders were killed in Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinjapur and North 24 Parganas and Malda district in poll related and post poll violence.

Of the 20 casualties reported in the past 48 hours, half of them belonged to the Trinamool Congress.

The TMC supporters and leaders were killed in both intra and inter-party feuds and there were instances of lynching of ruling party supporters when they went for booth capturing.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said that while Opposition was claiming of attacks on their supporters, it was the ruling party which had suffered most in the violence.

Half a dozen of supporters of the CPI (M) and a couple of BJP supporters had also been killed in the violence.

The representatives of CPI(M) and Party for Democratic Secularism ( PDS) approached Calcutta High Court on the violence and were directed to file fresh petitions by the Court.

There were protests outside the office of State Election Commission by Committee for Protection of Land, Livelihood, Ecology and Environment who have fielded candidates at Bhangar against the TMC.

The State Election Commission ordered re-polling in 568 polling booths on Wednesday. The highest number of booths where re-poll would be be held were in Uttar Dinajur, Malda, Murshidabad ad North 24 Parganas districts. The results of the rural polls would be announced on May 17.

Source: The Hindu