PARTS OF BENGAL TENSE AHEAD OF RURAL POLLS

KOLKATA/MIDNAPORE: Several pockets of Bengal remained tense on Sunday over the prospect of violence on Monday, when 38,529 seats of the threetier panchayat system go to polls, as the death toll in political violence continued to rise.

Following the death of a land agitator at Bhangar near Kolkata last Friday, a BJP supporter whose wife is contesting the elections in West Midnapore district was attacked on Saturday night with sharp-edged and blunt weapons. Manua Hansda died on Sunday morning. With this, the death toll in the run-up to the elections reached 16.

Violence was reported from the districts of East Midnapore, Bankura, Hooghly and Malda. In most cases, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was accused of causing it while in some cases, supporters of the ruling party bore the brunt of the violence as well. Police have sealed the state’s border with Jharkhand.

The rural polls are being seen as a dress rehearsal for the parliamentary elections due next year and are expected to reflect trends with regard to the position of various opposition parties. The TMC has already won 34.4% of the total seats unopposed— a record since the Panchayati Raj was introduced — but opposition parties hope to put up a fight. “I appeal to everybody to maintain peace and ensure violence-free elections. Please do not react to any kind of provocation from anyone,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee said.

While it’s a battle of survival for the Left and the Congress, the BJP is confident of establishing itself as the main opposition party. In the 2016 assembly elections, the BJP obtained only three seats while the Congress won 44 and the Left bagged 33.

This time, though it will be a quadrangular fight in a majority of the seats, the BJP stands way ahead of the Left and the Congress.