The counting of votes in the West Bengal Panchayat Election is set to begin today at 8 am after re-polling was conducted at 696 booths. The re-polling was ordered after the voting on July 8 was declared void due to allegations of rigging, booth capturing, electoral malfeasance, and voter intimidation. The election is seen as a test of the popularity of the Mamata Banerjee government and a gauge of the BJP’s standing in the state ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year.
The decision to conduct re-polling was made in response to widespread allegations of ballot box tampering and violence, which resulted in the loss of at least 19 lives. The first phase of vote counting will involve the Gram Panchayats, followed by the Zilla Samitis and Zilla Parishads. To ensure the process is conducted smoothly, all counting centers will have an adequate deployment of central forces, which will be closely monitored by CCTV cameras.
In the midst of the election proceedings, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. After the meeting, the Governor expressed optimism, stating that there will be light at the end of the tunnel and good things will happen in the future. Meanwhile, a day before the counting, BJP President JP Nadda appointed a four-member fact-finding committee to visit the violence-affected areas of the state and submit a report.
The BJP has accused the State Election Commission (SEC) of not ordering re-polling at several booths where they believe malpractice occurred. Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, intends to present evidence of alleged malpractice in thousands of booths during the polling to the Calcutta High Court. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has also written to the SEC, demanding an impartial and fair counting of votes in the presence of central forces.
The panchayat elections, which took place on July 8, involved approximately 5.67 crore voters and 2.06 lakh candidates competing for 73,887 seats in rural areas. The initial polling was conducted under tight security, with central and state security forces deployed at all polling booths. While some central armed police forces and state armed police personnel were assigned to sensitive booths, others were responsible for overall security along with local state police.
In conclusion, the West Bengal Panchayat Election counting process will commence today following the re-polling at 696 booths. The outcome of the polls will provide insights into the popularity of the state government and the BJP’s position in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The election has been marred by allegations of malpractice and violence, adding to the significance of the final results.
