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Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) registered a massive victory in the West Bengal panchayat elections. Didi’s party has won almost 80 percent gram panchayats, more than 90 percent panchayat committees and all district councils.
However, there was large-scale violence in the elections and Mamta’s government is facing a lot of criticism. The election lasted for 15 days. During this 50 people lost their lives and large scale violence was witnessed.
Mamata is bound to be criticized for being the head of the party in power and also handling the home department in the government. While the state election commission has blamed the Bengal police and administration for failing to stop the violence.
Eleven thousand people were taken into preventive custody, more than 8,000 non-bailable warrants (NBW) were executed and more than 20,000 licensed arms were seized in Bengal. All these steps were taken in West Bengal to avoid any kind of political violence during the panchayat elections in the state on July 8, as was seen in the local body elections.
< p style ="text-align: justify;">BJP The BJP was also quick to make the Bengal election violence an issue, and sent a team led by four MPs a day after the counting of votes began. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is leading the team, is visiting the trouble-torn areas to talk to the families of the victims.
Interacting with the media, Prasad said that the situation in Bengal justified the demand for invoking Article 355 of the Constitution.
BJP has also accused State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajeev Sinha of failing to conduct elections in a free and fair manner. Leader of the Opposition Shubhendu Adhikari demanded that President’s rule be imposed in the state. He said, ‘Free and fair elections under the state administration are very important. This is possible only when elections are held under President’s Rule or Article 355.
A BJP delegation led by Shubhendu Adhikari also reached the SEC office to lodge a complaint against the Trinamool Congress for various electoral malpractices. However, the officials could not meet Sinha as the gate leading to his chamber was locked.
Angry with this, the officer locked his gate after coming out of the office to express his protest. He demanded repolling at several booths. He also asked the State Election Commission to ensure that the strong room is videographed properly.
It is clear that before the Lok Sabha elections, BJP has started all efforts to bring TMC into the dock. Apart from this, the Left parties and Congress can also be an attacker on TMC in the coming times. However, in her first press conference after the election results, Mamata reminded the Congress and the Left about coalition dharma and National efforts to unite opposition parties for the Lok Sabha elections have also been mentioned.
An increase in the vote share of the opposition may become a headache for Didi
Tell that the vote shares of the Left and the Congress There has been an increase in this Panchayat election as compared to the by-elections in 2021-22. Which is a matter of concern for the TMC. The rise in opposition votes signals an anti-incumbency wave, which the ruling party will have to factor in as the general elections approach.
On the other hand, if TMC, Congress and Left form part of any united opposition platform at the national level, BJP alone will benefit from the anti-incumbency wave in Bengal.
Mamata may be worried about the minority vote bank
Besides, Mamata may be worried about her minority vote bank. Common people have protested against alleged election-related atrocities in Muslim-dominated panchayats of South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Malda. Many of those who lost their lives are from the minority community. While Mamta has condoled the deaths and promised compensation. Mamata rejected the death toll of 50, saying only 19 people lost their lives, and mostly from her party.
The Bhangar panchayat of South 24 Parganas voted largely for the Indian Secular Front, despite being a Trinamool stronghold. Here three people died on the night of counting of votes. The death is being attributed to police firing.
Knowledgeable people say that during the rule of Left parties in Bengal, people died due to police firing. Whether it was during the Youth Congress workers gheraoing the state headquarters in 1993 or the Nandigram land agitation in 2007.
It has been an emotive issue around which Mamata has built mass movements and gained traction. It is ironic that his own administration is now facing similar allegations from the police and the BJP government at the Center is trying to take advantage of this.
Extremist political tradition marks Bengal’
According to political analysts, West Bengal first experienced large-scale violence in 1946, when on 16 August, the Muslim League seceded from India. for a separate Muslim homeland after the British ousted "direct action" launched.
Thousands of Hindus were killed in riots that lasted for several weeks. On this day Known as ‘The Week of the Long Knife’. The League’s ideological comrades-in-arms, the Communists, then took power, and continued the brutal tradition until losing power in 2011 after seven consecutive terms.
The current panchayat elections in West Bengal were held on 73,887 seats in 22 districts. The violence seen in elections is not a new phenomenon. For example, in 2003, when the CPI(M) fought the rising Mamata Banerjee, 76 people were killed. Gun battles, arson, politically motivated gang wars and crude bombs were widely involved during the campaign.
Violence, vendetta continues unabated in Kolkata under any party rule. In 2018, when the TMC was in power, 23 people were killed across Bengal, of whom 12 lost their lives in polling day violence.
The Trinamool Congress, which won nearly 90 percent of the seats, won 34 percent of these seats unopposed. Thousands alleged that they were neither allowed to vote nor contest elections.
Political parties in West Bengal are patronizing a system that draws support from cadres of crime and extortion. The CPM, while in power (for more than three decades), has raised a large army of elements living on violence.
Now the central government is making efforts to bring BJP party in the whole country. This time he is completely attacking TMC against the attack in Panchayat elections. Because the Lok Sabha elections are near.
During the election, apart from the opposition parties, there were reports of clashes within the TMC as well. This dispute took place regarding who would be the candidate in the election. In such a situation it is necessary to understand That when there is no mutual understanding among the party members in the Panchayat level elections, then the situation may worsen in the Lok Sabha elections.
Experts say that Trinamool Congress is facing allegations of corruption. Many party leaders and ministers are in jail on charges of corruption. Even at the village level, large-scale corruption cases against TMC panchayat members have been coming to the fore. At the same time, there is a difference of opinion among the leaders within TMC. Last year there were reports of differences between Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
t)TMC
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