West Bengal Panchayat Election 2023 Live Updates: The counting of votes for the three-tier panchayat polls in West Bengal ended on Wednesday evening amid tight security. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is all set to sweep the elections. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee thanked the people of the state for the TMC’s huge win in the panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, a fact-finding team of the BJP headed by former law minister Ravi Sankar Prasad arrived in Kolkata today to visit violence-hit areas.
Following the counting of votes, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday announced that the panchayat elections in West Bengal and the declarations of results “will be subject” to the “ultimate order” that it may pass with the petitions filed on poll-related violence and “electoral malpractices”.
The election was marred by violence as over 33 people were killed in political clashes across the state since the date of the panchayat polls was announced early last month. Of these, 18 people were killed on the day of polling on Saturday.
Polling was held on July 8 in over 61,000 booths for the three-tier panchayat elections, with a voter turnout of 80.71 per cent. In several places, ballot boxes were looted, set on fire and thrown in ponds, leading to violence. The extent of violence on voting day was such that repolling had to be done in nearly 696 booths. Over 5.6 crore people living in rural Bengal were eligible to cast their votes in the elections that saw over 206,000 candidates battling for 73,887 seats.
Bengal Panchayat Polls Results Live Updates: Read the latest updates of counting of votes across West Bengal and more.
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday announced that the panchayat elections in West Bengal and the declarations of results “will be subject” to the “ultimate order” that it may pass with the petitions filed on poll-related violence and “electoral malpractices”.
The counting of votes for the Bengal panchayat elections is over but it will take some more time to upload the results on the official website, an official of the State Election Commission told PTI news agency on Wednesday evening.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, chief of BJP's fact-finding team, says "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, why is he silent when his party workers are getting beaten in Bengal? The murder of 48 people during the West Bengal Panchayat elections is a sickening sign of a shameful democracy." (ANI)
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed petitions seeking that the 2023 West Bengal panchayat election be declared void because of non-compliance ofthe basic principles of the Constitution and the statute to ensure free and fair polls.
The court also rejected a prayer for the removal of the state election commissioner, holding that such a prayer is not maintainable as it is an independent constitutional body.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam held in a judgment that the reliefs sought in the writ petitions seeking that the polls be declared void because of non-compliance with basic principles of the Constitution and the statute to ensure free and fair polls cannot be granted. (PTI)
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) won 42,097 gram panchayat seats out of the total 63,229 across West Bengal, showed the State Election Commission (SEC) website till 6 am Wednesday. The BJP, with 9,223 seats, was a distant second. Among others, the Left Front clinched 3,021 seats, the Congress secured 2,430 while rest, including the independent candidates, won 2,866 seats, according to the SEC.
BJP's fact-finding team headed by party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad reached Kolkata, West Bengal.
We will visit the violence-affected areas and meet the victims and after that, we will submit our report to party president JP Nadda, says Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Out of a total of 928 seats in the Zilla Parishad, the Trinamool Congress has won 162 seats so far. The BJP has won three seats, while the CPM and another party have won one seat each.
The counting in the West Bengal Panchayat elections is still ongoing, and it will take some time for the complete results to come in.
Several policemen and supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) were injured in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district as a clash broke out outside a centre where counting of votes for rural polls was going on, police said on Wednesday.
The incident happened late on Tuesday night when members of the ISF allegedly hurled bombs outside a counting centre at Bhangore and police resorted to baton charge, a senior officer said.
Police personnel fired a few rounds of rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob, he said.
"A senior IPS officer, his bodyguard and several other policemen as well as a few alleged members of the ISF were injured in the clash," he told PTI.
Reacting to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee's tweet thanking people for their mandate in Panchayat polls, BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta said the TMC leader thanked the wrong people.
"I think Abhishek Banerjee is thanking the wrong people. He should be thanking the State Election Commissioner, State Police, and Administration which put their entire weight into ensuring that the TMC won resoundingly in these Panchayat elections by means which were at best, half irregular and at worst, completely irregular," he said.
West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury remarked that the elections in the state have "already been reduced to a farce" and pointed out that the post-poll violence will be unleashed after the counting.
"...I must say that election has already been reduced to a farce, macabre dancing of the mockery of democracy was witnessed by all...It was well anticipated. According to our apprehension, violence, nexus between the ruling party, police, and Election Commission - threatening and intimidation, unprecedented scale of violence has been unleased resulting in the death of more than 40 persons. After the counting, post-poll violence will be unleashed," he said.
TMC has won 27,373 out of 63,229 gram panchayats, 134 panchayat samitis out of 9,730, and 83 zilla parishads out of 928.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday thanked the people of the state for the TMC's huge win in the panchayat elections.
"It's TMC all the way in rural Bengal. I want to thank the people for their love, affection and support towards the TMC. This election has proved that only TMC resides in the heart of the people of the state," Banerjee said in a Facebook post.
TMC has won 18,605 out of 63,229 gram panchayats, 58 panchayat samitis out of 9,730, and 18 zilla parishads out of 928. The BJP is a distant second and has won only 4,449 gram panchayats, no panchayat samitis, and no zilla parishads.
"The Governor has no power except appointing the state election commission officer....Whatever violence is going on in the state the Governor is responsible for it...The people of Bengal hate him...As soon as possible he should return to Delhi: West Bengal TMC leader Madan Mitra on West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose’s statement
West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday said that the state has two enemies - violence and corruption, and political parties should fight these out.
Bose condemned the incidents of violence that left 15 people dead during the panchayat election process. The counting of votes has started during the day and the final result is likely to come out on Wednesday.
Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday thanked the people of rural West Bengal for voting for his party in the three-tier panchayat elections. In an apparent dig aimed at leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, Banerjee said the campaign of "No Vote to Mamata" has turned into "Now Vote for Mamata".
"We have no hope from this election (Panchayat Election) after the kind of violence that took place earlier. This is not a mandate because Mamta Banerjee's goons forcefully got the polls done," said West Bengal BJP General Secretary Agnimitra Paul on Panchayat election results.
As per the counting of votes till 2.30 pm:
TMC wins 8232 seats and leads on 2712
BJP wins 1714 seats and leads on 734
Congress wins 362 seats and leads on 215
"The BJP seems to be struggling to find solid ground. Their aimless attacks without evidence are truly remarkable! It's not surprising, though. Their deep-seated fear of rejection has them grasping at straws. The people of Bengal have spoken loud and clear, shutting the door on their divisive politics once again. But isn't it interesting how they conveniently forget to introspect before hurling accusations at others? Remember when LoP Suvendu openly encouraged ballot box vandalism? The BJP's silence was deafening!" tweeted West Bengal minister Babul Supriyo.
The current trends show that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is leading in 1,218 out of total 3,317 gram panchayats in West Bengal. The BJP is leading in 288 while the Congress is leading in 136 seats. The Left Front is leading in 109 gram panchayats while other parties, including independent candidates, are leading in 43 seats. The ISF is leading in 14 gram panchayats.
The Trinamool Congress has taken an early lead and is ahead in 10 of 928 seats, the trends for which are available so far. The BJP, CPM, Congress and Others are yet to open their account.
The Trinamool Congress is leading in 261 seats in early trends while the BJP, CPM, Congress and Others are yet to open their account, as per data available.
The TMC has won 1043 Gram Panchayat seats and is leading in another 3138. The BJP is a distant second, winning 183 seats so far and leading in 816. The CPM has won 46 seats and is leading in 672 while the Congress is on the fourth spot with 38 wins and leads in 218 seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won the gram panchayat seat in Nandigram where Suvendu Adhikari had voted.
BJP spokesperson, Sambit Patra, on Tuesday, said, "The violence that is happening in West Bengal is unprecedented. Elections and violence have become synonyms in Bengal. So far, 45 people have been killed during violence in panchayat polls. Democracy is dying in the state."
The initial trends show that the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is leading on 1,218 out of total 3,317 gram panchayats seats in West Bengal. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading on 288 while the Congress is leading on 136 seats. The Left Front is leading in 109 gram panchayats while other parties, including independent candidates, are leading on 43 seats. The ISF is leading in 14 gram panchayats.
TMC: Wins - 10, Leading - 601 seats
BJP: Leading - 130
CPI: Leading- 4
CPI(M): Leading - 131
INC: Leading -18
Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited a counting centre in Bhangar in South 24 Paraganas district on Tuesday. The counting of votes in the panchayat and rural body elections is currently underway.
The counting of votes began early on Monday morning and saw sporadic events of violence with people trying to barge into a few counting centres. Crude bombs were also hurled in Diamond Harbour. Police resorted to lathi charge in Howrah and Diamond Harbour to disperse the the crowd gathered outside the counting centres.