Even as new voting was taking place in almost 700 polling places spread across 19 districts of the state on Monday, the number of people killed in the violence associated with the panchayat elections in West Bengal increased to 20.
Widespread violence marred the West Bengal panchayat election that took place on Saturday, leading to the murders of political activists, the looting of ballot boxes, and the destruction of ballot paper.
In Bengal, election-related violence claimed the lives of 17 persons up to Sunday.
On Monday, Maidul Sheikh, a TMC employee, passed away from her wounds at Kolkata’s NRS Medical College and Hospital. He was hurt on Saturday following a fight between TMC and Congress members in the Murshidabad district’s Raghunathganj.
The father-in-law of a CPI(M) candidate, who was allegedly beaten up by TMC workers on Saturday, passed away from his injuries on Monday morning in Krishnanagar in the state’s Nadia district. Later, TMC employee Sijarul Sheikh who had allegedly been assaulted by Congress workers at Raninagar on Saturday passed away from his wounds.
Meanwhile, on Monday morning at Dhubulia in the Nadia district, the decomposing body of Astha Mondal, the brother-in-law of BJP panchayat candidate Sangeeta Mondal, was found in a field.
Maidul Sheikh, a TMC staffer, died from her injuries on Monday at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. TMC and Congress members got into a scuffle on Saturday in the Murshidabad district’s Raghunathganj.
The father-in-law of a CPI(M) candidate, who was allegedly assaulted by TMC employees on Saturday, died from his injuries on Monday morning in Krishnanagar, in the state’s Nadia district. A TMC employee named Sijarul Sheikh, who had allegedly been attacked by Congress members in Raninagar on Saturday, eventually died from his injuries.
On Monday morning in the Nadia district, the decomposing body of Astha Mondal, the brother-in-law of BJP panchayat candidate Sangeeta Mondal, was found in a field. In 697 booths, the West Bengal panchayat elections are being redone.
Rajiva Sinha, the state election commissioner, said after arriving at the SEC headquarters on Monday, “Repolling is being conducted peacefully so far.”
