Filed by state BJP leader Shankudeb Panda, the complaint contains details of Rs 23 crore duped by said individuals from these 415 individuals who were mainly senior citizens. The principal theme of the complaint is that the said corporate entity took around Rs 6,00,000 from each of these individuals promising them residential flats.

However, even after expiry of reasonable time, none of them were provided with flats and the amount collected by them were utilised by the directors of the same entity, including Jahan, to purchase their own flats, it stated.

Nussrat Jahan refuses wrongdoing

Jahan denied allegations of being involved in any fraudulent practice and said she had resigned from the directorship of the company in March 2017. “I have not come here to give any clarification as I have not committed any wrong. A media trial is going on. I am not involved in any wrongdoing or any form of fraudulent practice. I resigned as its director long back in March 2017. I don’t know why I am being falsely blamed,” Jahan said at a press conference.

The TMC MP said she had taken a loan from the company and repaid it with interest in May 2017. “I have bank statements and papers to prove my version. I was never a shareholder of the company. As the matter is sub-judice, I won’t make any further comment. Let the law take its own course,” the actress said as she left the presser.

Company’s director denies her claim

While the existing director of the corporate Rakesh  Singh denied the company giving any such loan to her, questions are being raised on why she took the loan from a company instead of taking an institutional loan from a bank.

Jahan was in the midst of controversy after the infamous Park Street gang-rape of an Anglo-Indian woman in February 2012. There were allegations against Jahan of giving shelter to the prime accused in the case Kader Khan.

The victim, who died in March 2015, became a lead face of anti-rape campaign before her death. Khan is still absconding.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections she was fielded from Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency in North 24 Parganas district which she successfully contested.

According to a India Today report, the toll plaza staffer, identified as Ujjwal Singh, said that Sunil Mandal did not halt his car at the booth, stepped out of his vehicle and tried to remove the fluorescent traffic cones from the road.

The staffer said he did not know that the car belonged to lawmaker as it did not have any stamp or logo which would indicate the same, leading to confusion. “I did not realise that the car belonged to a legislator as it did not have any logos which would indicate the same,” Singh said, according to the report.

Watch the video here:

ये #MP #MLAs को समझना चाहिए कि टोल प्लाजा पर खडे सामान्य लोग उन्हें नहीं पहचानते. वो अपना काम कर रहे है. अगर गाडी रोक दी तो गुनाह नहीं कर दिया

जनाब पश्चिम बंगाल के बर्दवान पूर्व के #सांसद #sunilmandal है

हरकत तो दिख ही रही है https://t.co/w1sRx9QO3t pic.twitter.com/09EbhRDNDu

— Archana Pushpendra (@margam_a) August 4, 2023

He said that he merely acted as per protocol and went to move the traffic safety cones from the VIP lane when he saw Mandal’s car hit the cones. However, the legislator stepped out and shoved the toll booth staffer when he went to move the traffic cones.

The entire incident was captured on surveillance cameras and the video quickly went viral on social media sites. In the video, a white luxury car is seen approaching the toll plaza at Palsit and hits a traffic cone as it attempts to go past the booth. Soon, Bardhaman East MP, Sunil Mandal steps out of the car and can be seen engaging in a physical altercation with the toll booth employee and shoving him away.

Following the incident, Sunil Mandal issued an apology and said he was in a hurry and got carried away.

“I am extremely sorry for what happened yesterday,” Mandal said, adding that he was in a hurry. The TMC MP claimed that his security guards told the staffers at the booth to move the cones and let the car through, but they did not do it.

Mandal also accused the toll booth employee of behaving badly with him, however, he admitted that he was wrong in physically pushing for staffer, the report said.

As per the police, the shocking incident came to light on Saturday after neighbours of the accused couple found them having an iPhone. The neighbours got suspicious as the family had barely any means to make ends meet, fearing they may have done something terrible to acquire the money, the neighbours questioned the couple about their baby who told them that the infant was staying with a relative.

SOLD! For an iPhone and Instagram Reels…

However, concerned locals got suspicious and informed the local councillor Tarak Guha, who immediately informed the police. Confronted by the cops, the mother confessed that they had sold the baby and used to money to buy an iPhone and shoot Instagram reels in various parts of West Bengal.

Guha said the police have arrested the couple, including the infant’s father Jaydev. He claimed that after selling the boy, Jaydev also tried selling his 7-year-old daughter on Saturday night, however, his plan was foiled as the police apprehended him.

“After selling the boy, Jaydev also tried to sell the girl on Saturday midnight. We inform the police as soon as we understood it. Police have arrested Jaydev,” Guha said.

Baby rescued

Notably, some earlier reports suggested that the couple had sold their infant son to buy alcohol as they were alcoholics and frequently got into fights with their neighbours in the Panihatti Gandhinagar locality.

Police said they have rescued the infant from a woman in the Khardaha area of Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district. Giving details, an official said that the accused couple, Jaydev and his wife Sathi, had sold their 8-month-old baby boy to a woman identified as Priyanka Ghosh, a resident of Rahra area.

They said that the couple have another child—a 7-year-old daughter—whom they also intended to sell, allegedly.

The official said the couple used the money received from selling their infant boy to travel across West Bengal and shoot Instagram reels with an iPhone which they also bought with the same money.

“We are investigating if there is a child trafficking racket involved in the case,” he said, adding that further probe is underway.

The incident was captured on CCTV cameras and the shocking footage has surfaced online showing a group of at least four men storming the man’s cloth shop, overpowering him, and then stabbing him multiple times with a knife. Another trader in the narrow street tries to intervene and stop the assault but is also attacked by the assailants.

As per initial reports, the attackers had been trying to extort money from the victim—a cloth trader by profession—from the past few days. On Saturday, they stormed his shop with the same intention, the businessman seemingly refused, leading to an altercation during which the men stabbed him and fled the scene.

BJYM karyakarta from Uttar Dinajpur's Islampur, Shri Ashim Saha has been brutally stabbed to death at his shop.

BJYM will fight tooth and nail seeking justice for Ashim's family, till all the antisocial elements and their political masters are convicted for their ghastly crime. pic.twitter.com/AIynnDwnhG

— Dr.Indranil Khan ডাঃ ইন্দ্রনীল খাঁন (@IndranilKhan) July 22, 2023

The victim and another trader who tried to intercept the attackers were rushed to a hospital in Siliguri where Saha was declared brought dead, India Today reported.

Meanwhile, the BJP has claimed that Saha was a worker of the saffron party’s youth wing and was allegedly killed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers. The BJP has also called for a 12-hour bandh in Islampur to protest Saha’s killing.

Speaking to news agency ANI, BJYM state chief Indranil Khan said that one of the party workers from Islmapur in Uttar Dinajpur was stabbed to death at his shop.

According to the police, the deceased was the victim of a personal enmity between him and the attackers.

“Police received information around 9 am that a person was stabbed at the Islampur Bazaar. A police team immediately reached the spot and scanned the CCTV footage which showed an unidentified young man stabbing another man,” a senior officer said.

He said the deceased, Aseem Saha, was a businessman, a resident of Cooch Behar district, who had come to visit a saree shop belonging to his uncle, Ratan, when he was attacked.

The officer said that Saha was rushed to a local hospital and later transferred to a hospital in Siliguri, where he succumbed to his injuries.

No political angle involved: Police

Police said a suspect was identified with the help of CCTV footage and eyewitnesses present at the spot, and arrested within few hours of the crime.

“A suspect was arrested a few hours after the crime was committed an investigation launched,” they said, adding that the police, however, has yet to receive any complaints from the victim’s kin.

The police have maintained that Saha was the victim of a personal dispute and there is no political angle involved in his murder.

“This seems to be a personal dispute and not a political matter. An argument took place between the attackers and the victim and Saha was attacked with a knife,” the police said.

Islampur on edge

Meanwhile, security was stepped up Uttar Dinajpur’s Islampur area following a 12-hour bandh called by the BJYM to protest Saha’s murder.

“The BJP has called for a 12-hour bandh and if any attempt is made to disturb law and order, we will take legal action,” the police said, according to ANI.

#WATCH | West Bengal: Security heightened in Uttar Dinajpur's Islampur area as a 12 hours general strike has been called by BJYM in Islampur.

BJYM State president Indranil Khan claims that a party worker from Uttar Dinajpur's Islampur was stabbed to death at his shop. pic.twitter.com/EXlu1wBNwU

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2023

“Yesterday, a cloth dealer was stabbed to death for protesting against some goons associated with TMC who were demanding money from him. He died before reaching the hospital. We have called for a general strike in the Islampur area. We have requested locals in Islampur to support the strike,” Surajit Sen, BJP district vice-president, Uttar Dinajpur, told ANI.

(With ANI inputs)

According to initial reports, the incident occurred three to four days ago. Local people in Malda’s Pakuahat had caught the two women on suspicion of theft and thrashed them. It can be seen in the video  that some women tore the victims sarees and stripped them almost naked while simultaneously hitting them with footwear.

BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya, who is also the party’s co-incharge for the state, took to Twitter and said the incident took place on July 19, with a “frenzied mob baying for her blood”. Malviya said, “The horror continues in West Bengal. Two tribal women were stripped naked, tortured and beaten mercilessly, while police remained a mute spectator in Pakua Hat area of Bamangola Police Station, Malda.” Malviya also posted a video with blurred images of the crime.

WATCH: Malda Women stripped half-naked

The horror continues in West Bengal. Two Tribal women were stripped naked, tortured and beaten mercilessly, while police remained a mute spectator in Pakua Hat area of ​​Bamangola Police Station, Malda.

The horrific incident took place on the morning of 19th July. The women… pic.twitter.com/tyve54vMmg

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 22, 2023

Police Respond After Viral Video Surfaces in Malda

The police asserted that they were first made aware of the occurrence after seeing the footage. Following a preliminary inquiry, it was found that the two ladies had been beaten by neighbourhood merchants after being apprehended while committing theft. After the incident, the women who had witnessed it also ran away, and those who had beaten them up were afraid to report it.

According to the West Bengal Police, “The incident happened in Pakuhat area in Malda 3 to 4 days back. Two women were caught in suspicion of theft by local traders. Both women were thrashed by the local female traders. Later both women left or escaped from the area and did not lodge any police complaints. Traders also did not file any complaint in this regard.” The police are currently looking into the situation, and the proper steps will be done.

Abdul Hasim, a resident of Assam and Shahnara Khatun from West Bengal, were complete strangers before they met inside the Bardhaman Central Correctional Home in West Bengal, where both are serving prison terms after being convicted in separate murder cases.

Hasim and Khatun’s love story began at the Bardhaman District Correctional Centre in East Bardhaman District where the former is serving a 8-year sentence while the latter has been handed a 6-year term.

Hasim and Shahnara met at the correctional home and soon became friends. The friendship soon evolved into love and couple decided to get married. The jailbirds informed their families about their relationship and intention to get married.

“Both of us are incarcerated in Bardhaman Central Correctional Institution. Our housemates came to meet us on the same day, we got to know each other from there. Then we slowly started talking, then our relationship progressed. We want to get out of the darkness of our life and live our lives well. And not to fall into any calamity,” Abdul Hasim said, according to a News18 report.

On Wednesday, Hasim and Shahnara were released on a five-day parole and married according to the Muslim Act in Kusumgram of Monteshwar block of East Bardhaman.

The newly-weds have little time for themselves as they will soon have return to prison once their five-day parole is over. However, they remain optimistic about the future: “I want to spend a normal life and start a family like normal people after I get out of prison,” Shahnara said with a glitter in her eye.

The TMC won all 20 Zila Parishads in the three-tier panchayat system, winning a straight 880 seats, while its nearest rival BJP won 31 seats out of 928 seats. The Congress-Left front alliance won 15 seats while others won 2 remining seats. The TMC has won over 35,000 gram panchayat seats, out of the 63,219 gram panchayat seats.

However though the counting was over exact figures were not known as compilation and dissemination process was not complete said officials. The ruling party’s nearest rival BJP has won nearly 10,000 seats. While the Left-Congress alliance won over approximately 6,000 seats.

West Bengal Panchayat Election 2023: Full List Of Winning Candidates

ZILA PARISHAD ELECTION

GRAM PANCHAYAT ELECTION 

PANCHAYAT SAMITI ELECTION

West Bengal Panchayat Election 2023 LIVE Updates

With 30 dead since polls were announced earlier last month, this year’s bloodied election also closely followed the 2018 panchayat poll violence pattern when a similar number of people were left dead.

Twelve people, including eight from the ruling TMC and one worker each of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress died since midnight in the crucial three-tier panchayat polls, officials said.

The election which is being seen by analysts as a semi-final for the 2024 parliamentary elections, also witnessed scenes of ballot boxes being stolen and burnt and of public anger being vented against political workers.

The polling began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates. Till 5 pm, 66.28 per cent voter turnout was recorded, officials said.

Vote tampering, SEC ensures probe

State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha on Saturday promised to look into complaints of vote tampering and to take a decision on possible re-polling in some booths after receiving reports from observers and returning officers.

Sinha said the most number of complaints on incidents of violence during the day’s polling came from four districts, and they would all be taken into account while reviewing the poll process.

The SEC, who had to face a lot of flak from various political parties, said that a decision on re-polling would be taken on Sunday when observers and returning officers would scrutinise and review the polling process.

“I have been getting information (of violence and clashes) since last night. Calls were directly made to me as well as to the Control room phone numbers on these incidents.The maximum number of such incidents on Saturday were reported from three to four districts like North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Murshidabad district,” Sinha told PTI.

The SEC however placed the figure of those dead due to election-related violence at 3 since Saturday morning.

Among flashpoints identified by the political parties were Murshidabad, Nadia and Cooch Behar districts besides pockets in South 24 Parganas such as Bhangar and in Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram.

Even after the voting officially ended in the evening, there were reports of stray violence from Murshidabad with vehicles being burnt by supporters of various parties.

The blame game

All parties in West Bengal levelled allegations against each other for the violence, even as the BJP called for President’s Rule to be imposed in the state.

The right-wing party, which blamed the State Election Commission for poll-related deaths, shot off a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding his “intervention” in restoring democracy in the state alleging democracy has been “murdered in the state by the ruling party as the security forces played the role of an audience.”

The ruling Trinamool Congress, which lost eight of its supporters to poll violence, however, accused the opposition of orchestrating violence and criticised the central forces for their failure to protect voters.
TMC’s senior minister Sashi Panja claimed “Shocking incidents are being reported since last night. BJP, CPI(M) and Congress have colluded. She also raised questions on the role of the central forces.”

The Border Security Force, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless.

“Of the 22 districts that went to rural polls, no incident of violence was reported in 16. Of the nearly 61,000 booths, incidents were reported in only 60. So, one can ascertain the ratio of violence in comparison with the areas where polls were held peacefully. It is less than one per cent,” Panja said.

She fished out data to push her party’s claims that out of the total deaths that took place both on the day of polling and throughout the entire election process, “nearly 60 per cent casualties were from the TMC”.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, demanded that President’s Rule be imposed in the state and threatened to lead a march to Kalighat where chief minister Mamata Banerjee lives against the violence in the panchayat polls.

“A free and fair election under the state administration is a mirage. It is only possible only if elections are held under President’s Rule or Article 355,” he said.

In a statement, TMC however claimed that if the party was behind the violence, “why would our own workers be targeted and killed? “.

West Bengal Pradesh Congress president Adhir Chowdhury in a left handed compliment,”congratulated” Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee for winning the just-concluded violent rural polls.

“Congrats Didi, you have won the panchayat elections,” he said. “‘Aapni jite gechen’ (you have won),” he said, adding sarcastically that Banerjee’s injured leg will be fine on the counting day on July 11 and she will come out of her home and thank people for making her victorious in the polls.

The CPI(M) accused the State Election Commission of enacting a farce in the name of holding panchayat elections and blamed the ruling party for the poll-related deaths.

Governor CV Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence.

“People requested me to stop my motorcade on the way. There were a lot of tales to tell, they told me about murders, goons not allowing them to go to polling booths …

“These are stray cases but even one incident of bloodshed should cause concern to all of us,” he told reporters.

Among those killed was BJP’s polling agent Madhab Biswas who was allegedly killed by ruling party workers in Falimari gram panchayat in Cooch Behar district, officials said.

The TMC on the other hand also alleged that its booth committee member in Tufanganj 2 panchayat samiti in Cooch Behar, Ganesh Sarkar, was killed in an attack by the BJP.

Uttar Dinajpur’s Goalpokhar witnessed a clash between TMC and Congress workers where the husband of the TMC Panchayat head Shanshah was killed, officials said.

A TMC worker identified as Babar Ali was also killed in Murshidabad district’s Kapasdanga area in overnight violence.

Another TMC worker was killed in the district’s Khargram area. He was identified as Sabiruddin Sk.
Malek Sheikh, brother of a TMC leader was also killed in a clash with Congress supporters in Malda district’s Jisharattola, police said.

The TMC also alleged that one of its workers was killed in Nadia’s Chapra.

Nadia’s TMC president Debasish Ganguli however claimed that the incident happened when ISF supporters were hurling crude bombs at TMC workers. “One of the bombs slipped from their hands and exploded,” he claimed.

A 38-year-old man Anisur was killed in South 24 Parganas district’s Basanti.

A Congress worker Yasmin Sk., was allegedly killed in Murshidabad’s Rejinagar police station area in election-related violence.

CPI(M) worker Rajibul Hoque died in the morning while undergoing treatment at a hospital after injuries in a clash which occurred earlier in the week.

The TMC alleged that one of its workers Goutam Roy was killed outside a polling booth in the district’s Katawa area by CPI(M) supporters.

Police said another Trinamool Congress worker, Amjad Hossain was killed on Saturday during a clash between members of two parties at Kalyandaha under Chapra block in Nadia district of West Bengal. In the clash, which took place on Saturday afternoon, at least 11 others, mostly TMC supporters, were also injured, they said.

Incidents of destruction of ballot boxes and intimidation of voters were also reported in some areas.
In Cooch Behar district’s Dinhata, ballot boxes were vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire at a booth in Baravita Govt Primary School. At another booth in the Barnachina area, locals torched a ballot box along with ballot papers, alleging that false voting was done.

Protests were also held in various areas, demanding the deployment of central forces.

In Nandigram, female voters gheraoed a police officer with bottles of poison in their hands, demanding that central force be deployed in the area.

CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field, tweeting, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. By the way this picture is from Diamond Harbour.”

At least 600 companies of central forces have been deployed for the elections along with around 70,000 state police.

There are 63,229-gram panchayat seats and 9,730 panchayat samiti seats in 22 districts, while 928 zilla parishad seats in 20 districts as Darjeeling and Kalimpong have a two-tier system with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and Siliguri Sub-divisional Council at the top.

The ruling TMC contested all the 928 seats in zilla parishads, 9,419 seats in panchayat samitis and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats. The BJP fielded candidates in 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats.

The CPI(M) is fighting 747 zilla parishad seats, 6,752 panchayat samiti seats and 35,411 gram panchayat seats. The Congress contested 644 zilla parishad seats, 2,197 panchayat samiti seats and 11,774 gram panchayat seats.

(Only the headline has been reworked by India.com staff. Copy comes from a syndicated feed)

The incident was reported as polling for the panchayat poll elections is underway. In the video, it was seen that a person is running away with a ballot box.

Watch Video Here:

Man runs away with ballot box in Bengal’s Cooch Behar.#WestBengal #WestBengalPanchayatPolls pic.twitter.com/3NZcUktPHJ

— Rajdeep Bailung Baruah (@BailungRajdeep) July 8, 2023

Not just this, several incidents of violence were also reported during the panchayat elections in West Bengal earlier in the day.

Ballot Bx Set on Fire in Cooch Behar

A ballot box at a polling booth in Baranachina of Dinhata in Cooch Behar district was set on fire by voters who were angry with bogus voting that was reportedly going on there.

Even as the TMC has alleged that this man was affiliated to BJP, no confirmation has been provided as yet.

Polling for the panchayat elections started at 7 AM  and around 5.67 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. However, soon after the polls started, massive violence across the state was reported.

11 Dead So Far in State

So far, 11 deaths have been reported in the state and out of those, five Trinamool members, and one worker each of the BJP, Left and Congress, and the supporter of an independent candidate have been reported dead.

This time, the West Bengal Panchayat Elections are being held for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samities, and 63,229 gram panchayat seats. The counting of votes will take place on July 11, 2023.

Besides violent clashes that injured several people, ballot boxes were destroyed in several parts of the state.

Governor CV Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met people injured in the violence.

A TMC worker was killed in Murshidabad district’s Kapasdanga area in overnight violence. The deceased was identified as Babar Ali, officials said. Another TMC worker was killed in the district’s Khargram area. He was identified as Sabiruddin Sk.

The TMC also alleged that its booth committee member in Tufanganj 2 panchayat samiti in Cooch Behar, Ganesh Sarkar, was killed in an attack by the BJP.

BJP polling agent Madhab Biswas was allegedly killed in Falimari gram panchayat in Coochbehar district, they said. The BJP alleged that when Biswas tried to enter the polling booth he was stopped by TMC supporters, and as the situation escalated, they killed him. The TMC denied the allegations. The supporter of an Independent candidate died in Kadambagachi area in North 24 Paraganas district after he was beaten up overnight, police said.

The deceased was identified as 41-year-old Abdullah. He died while undergoing treatment at a local hospital in the morning, Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Mukherjee said. Protesting against the killing, locals blocked the Taki Road in the early hours but they were removed by the police. A TMC worker was killed in Murshidabad district’s Kapasdanga area overnight in poll-related violence. The deceased was identified as Babar Ali, officials said.

West Bengal Panchayat Elections: TMC workers allegedly vandalised the house of a BJP worker. Watch

VIDEO | West Bengal panchayat elections: TMC workers allegedly vandalised the house of a BJP worker in Mathabhanga area of Cooch Behar district. pic.twitter.com/Vo6dolOGjg

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 8, 2023

The ruling TMC said that two of its workers were killed in Rejinagar and Khargram in Murshidabad district, and another person in Tufanganj in Coochbehar district. “The polling started peacefully, but Congress, BJP and CPI(M) are attacking TMC workers since last night. Three of our workers have died in Rejinagar, Tufanganj and Khargram. And, two of our workers were injured in Domkal. Where are the central forces?” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asked.

The brother of a TMC leader was killed in a clash with Congress supporters in Malda district, police said. The incident happened in Jisharattola in Manikchak police station area. The deceased was identified as Malek Sheikh, they said. The TMC alleged that the husband of one of its candidates was shot at in Nadia district’s Narayanpur area by CPI(M) supporters, a charge denied by the opposition party.

Allegations of attempts to loot ballot boxes and attack on voters were made by all the parties. Clashes were also reported from other parts of the state. CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field, tweeting, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour.”

At least 600 companies of central forces have been deployed for the elections along with around 70,000 state police. Sharing a video on Twitter, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar alleged that ballot boxes were set ablaze at a booth in Coochbehar district with poll officials having fled the scene.

Governor CV Ananda Bose visited parts of the North 24 Parganas district and interacted with the people. There are 63,229 gram panchayat seats and 9,730 panchayat samiti seats in 22 districts, while 928 zilla parishad seats in 20 districts as Darjeeling and Kalimpong have a two-tier system with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and Siliguri Sub-divisional Council at the top.

Long queues outside polling booths were seen as early as 6 am with people turning out early amid the intermittent rains. The ruling TMC is contesting all the 928 seats in zilla parishads, 9,419 seats in panchayat samitis and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats. The BJP has fielded candidates in 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats. The CPI(M) is fighting 747 zilla parishad seats, 6,752 panchayat samiti seats and 35,411 gram panchayat seats. The Congress is contesting 644 zilla parishad seats, 2,197 panchayat samiti seats and 11,774 gram panchayat seats.

The State Election Commission (SEC) has taken proactive steps by deploying additional central forces to maintain law and order during the polls. This move comes in response to the instances of violence that occurred in the state during the campaign period leading up to the rural elections.

As of Saturday, the death toll in the run-up to the panchayat polls in West Bengal climbed to 20 after one more person was allegedly killed in Murshidabad district early on Saturday.

Top 10 updates on the West Bengal panchayat election:

1.  West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Friday said he would be on the streets along with his team during polling. The governor described Saturday’s panchayat polls as a “fight between ballots and bullets” and said that he would monitor the situation throughout the state and take corrective measures.
2.  Since the day the polls were announced on June 8, West Bengal has reported a number of violence in various parts of the state. In the latest incident, one person, identified as Abdullah Ali, in Kadambagachi of North 24 Parganas in Murshidabad district.
3. A polling booth was ransacked and set on fire at Dihata in Cooch Behar. On Friday, the home of a BJP candidate was allegedly attacked by TMC workers in the Kalmati area of Bamanhat II Gram Panchayat of Dinhata. The injured are currently being treated at a private hospital in Coochbehar, news agency ANI reported.
4.  On Thursday night, a man identified as Aurobindo Mondol was allegedly beaten to death in the Raninagar area in Murshidabad. Family members of the deceased said Mondol was a Congress worker and was suffering from heart ailments, they blamed the TMC for his death.
5. There are 63,229 gram panchayat seats and 9,730 panchayat samiti seats in 22 districts, while 928 zilla parishad seats in 20 districts as Darjeeling and Kalimpong have a two-tier system with Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and Siliguri Sub-divisional Council at the top.
6. The ruling TMC is contesting all the 928 seats in zilla parishads, 9,419 seats in panchayat samitis and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats. The BJP has fielded candidates in 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats.
7. The CPI(M) is fighting 747 zilla parishad seats, 6,752 panchayat samiti seats and 35,411 gram panchayat seats. The Congress is contesting 644 zilla parishad seats, 2,197 panchayat samiti seats and 11,774 gram panchayat seats.
8. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee led the ruling party’s campaign, which revolved around the development initiatives undertaken by the state government and the MGNREGA funds stopped by the Centre.
9. The campaign by the opposition parties — BJP, CPI(M) and the Congress — mainly focussed on the allegations of corruption, from the panchayat level to the teachers’ recruitment at the state level, and political violence.
10. During the panchayat elections in 2018, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) managed to secure an overwhelming 34% of the seats without any contest. However, the elections were also overshadowed by disturbing incidents of violence that plagued the electoral process.

From the time the poll dates were announced on June 8, widespread violence was reported in various parts of West Bengal leading to the death of over a dozen people, including a teenager.

Security Arrangement in Place

The polls to elect representatives for village councils will be held under the watchful eyes of central forces for the second time since the inception of the Panchayati Raj system in Bengal in the late Seventies.

Nearly 65,000 active central police personnel and 70,000 state police personnel will be deployed for the polls.

Election Campaign Ends

Ahead of the elections, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee led the party’s campaign while stressing the need to shun strong-arm tactics by its cadres and allow more democratic space to the political opponents, to avoid the rerun of the 2018 rural polls when it had won around 34 per cent seats uncontested.

On the other hand, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, national vice-president Dilip Ghosh, and leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari led the saffron party’s campaign, whereas state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim led their parties’ respective poll drives.

In the West Bengal Panchayat Elections, Raj Bhavan for the first time, played an active role in addressing the issue of poll violence, with Governor C V Ananda Bose opening a ‘Peace Home’ at the governor’s house to address complaints of the aam aadmi.

“BJP seems to forget that people vote and not the central forces. If the BJP doesn’t have the support of people, no matter how many central forces you seek, the mandate will not change,” Abhishek Banerjee said.

West Bengal Panchayat Polls 2013 Results

In the 2013 panchayat polls, the TMC won over 85 per cent of the seats, despite heavy deployment of central forces.

In the 2018 rural polls, the TMC won 90 per cent of the panchayat seats and all the 22 zilla parishads. However, these elections were marred by widespread violence and malpractices, with the opposition alleging they were prevented from filing nominations in several seats.

“The TMC wants to make the rural polls a replay of 2018, but we won’t allow this to happen this time. BJP will defeat the TMC,” Majumdar said.

Chowdhury had said the “grab-all mindset” of the TMC, with no space for any form of opposition, has led to this anarchic situation.

Alfaz Halder, an independent candidate in the upcoming rural polls, was killed in a scuffle with TMC workers in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India Today report. Halder sustained grievous injuries in the clash between the TMC workers and some independent candidates on Wednesday, he was rushed to a local hospital and later shifted to a medical facility in Kolkata on Thursday morning where he succumbed to injuries, the report said.

In a related incident, earlier in the day, a BJP worker was found dead at a village in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. The deceased, 48-year-old Dilip Mahara, a resident of Muhammad Bazar block, was the Vice-President of Hinglo Gram Panchayat and the husband of an independent candidate supporting the BJP.

The BJP have accused the TMC of murdering Mahara, however, the police said that the motive and circumstances behind the killing are still being ascertained, the India Today report said.

The police said a case has been registered at the Muhammad Bazar Police station and the murder of the BJP worker is being probed, adding that no arrests have been made so far.

In another incident, earlier in the day, four workers of CPI (M), including a candidate for the upcoming panchayat polls, sustained injuries in an assault by unidentified miscreants in Murshidabad. CPI (M) claimed that its workers were attacked by TMC workers who hurled crude bombs at them, injuring the party’s Zila Parishad candidate, Badar Sheikh and others.

Widespread violence has marred the West Bengal Panchayat polls with over a dozen people being killed and several others wounded in election-related clashes and attacks since the filling of nominations began on June 9.

A BJP leader, Bankim Hansda, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on Monday. Hansda’s body was recovered by the police from Bodo area of Purulia district.

In the wake of the rampaging violence, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Wednesday constituted a committee to look into the matter of maintaining peace and social integration in the state.

According to the weather office heavy rains accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning are expected to hit parts of north Bengal from July 2 to July 7.

As per an IMD bulletin, a cyclonic formation over Sub Himalayan West Bengal region and Sikkim at an altitude of 3.1 kms above mean sea-level combined with strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, will result in heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning in the various districts of North Bengal over the next five days.

The weather department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall, along with thunderstorms and lightning are likely to lash Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, Darjeeling and Alipurduar districts of Bengal while other districts in the region are also expected to receive a fair amount of rain.

As per an orange alert issued by the weather office, heavy to very heavy rain is expected in Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, and Kalimpong districts from July 2-7 while heavy rainfall has been predicted in the North Dinajpur district from July 5-7.

Early Monsoon

Meanwhile, the IMD on Sunday said the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days before the normal date, as it advanced in the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.

The IMD had said on Friday that the monsoon is expected to be normal in July across the country, barring parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and south Bihar.

The weather office said the monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday, against the normal date of July 8.

As many as 16 states and Union territories received deficient rainfall in June, with Bihar and Kerala reporting large deficits at 69 per cent and 60 per cent below normal, respectively.

Some other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also received less rainfall than what is normal for June, the first month of the southwest monsoon season.

“The monthly rainfall averaged over the country as a whole during July 2023 is most likely to be normal (94 to 106 per cent of LPA) and most probably within the positive side of the normal,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra had said on Friday.

(With PTI inputs)

According to the police, the victim, identified as 52-year-old TMC worker Jiyarul Molla, was shot dead in Phulmalancha area in Basanti in South 24 Parganas district late on Saturday night while he was returning home.

Molla was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.A local Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader claimed that Molla, who was a close associate of TMC leader Amarul Laskar, was a victim of infighting within the ruling party.

Molla’s daughter Manwara, who is a TMC candidate in Kathalberia gram panchayat, also alleged that her father had complained to the police about frequent threats from a rival faction which asked him to quit politics but the law enforcers did not take any action.

“I am a first-time candidate. My candidature is not liked by another local faction in the party. I demand a high-level probe into the incident,” a PTI report quoted Manwara as saying.

Local TMC MLA Saokat Molla said the police should probe the matter and take prompt action against whoever is responsible.

With Molla’s killing, the death toll in the poll-related violence in West Bengal has surged to 10. The TMC ruled state has witnessed violent clashes since filing of nominations for rural elections began on June 9, PTI reported, citing police reports.

Meanwhile, at least 10 people were injured in clashes between CPI(M) and ISF supporters on one side and those of the TMC on the other in Paschim Medinipur district on Sunday, police said.

The incident took place in Krishnapur area in Chandrakona in the morning after the TMC members tried to erect party flags, and faced resistance from opposition activists.

The injured, who belong to both camps, have been admitted to hospitals, where they are undergoing treatment, another police officer said, adding that their condition is stated to be stable.

A large contingent of police team has been deployed on the spot, he added.

The police did not mention the number of people detained or arrested after the clashes.

In another incident, Ibrahim Mollah, TMC candidate in Chaltaberia gram panchayat, was seriously injured when he was thrashed and stabbed allegedly by ISF activists while he was returning home in Bhangar area in South 24 Parganas on Sunday night after campaigning, police said.

TMC leader Saokat Molla alleged that ISF’s Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique was behind the attack as he wanted to unleash a “reign of terror” in the area.

Siddique, however, denied the charge, while counter-alleging that the TMC was threatening and intimidating ISF workers in villages.

“Villagers are rising against the atrocities and ‘bomb culture’ of the TMC and that is not being liked by the gang patronised by Shaukat Mollah. The ISF believes in peaceful movement by people, not violence,” he added.

Around 5.67 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the three-tier panchayat elections in the state on July 8 for nearly 74,000 seats in zilla parishads, panchayat samiti and gram panchayats.

(With PTI inputs)

A condom was found dangling from a BJP flag in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri during a rally organised ahead of panchayat polls in the state. BJP Kisan Morcha District President Nakul Das filed a police complaint at the local police station. Following the complaint, the police took down the flag, and an investigation was also launched.

The incident took place at Shikarpur Tea Garden Depot of Jalpaiguri from where Alka Kujur is the BJP candidate. Alka Kujur has already lodged a complaint at Belakoba Chowki. The news of the incident spread like wildfire on social media platforms causing a commotion.

BJP Kisan Morcha District President Nakul Das has accused the ruling TMC of putting the condom on the saffron party’s flag, terming it an ugly act.

“I am predicting this based on their previous infamy when their (TMC Youth Wing) leader Sayani Ghosh dressed Shivlinga with a condom,” said Das.

The BJP claimed it to be a malicious act intended to defame the party and undermine its reputation. Party spokespersons condemned the act, stating that it was a deliberate attempt to tarnish the party’s image and create unnecessary controversy.

The incident is currently being investigated by local authorities to see if it was political sabotage or an attempt to draw attention to social issues related to sexual health and awareness.

Meanwhile, TMC leaders said that the event was an example of the BJP’s backward approach to delicate issues like sexual health and reproductive rights demanding a full inquiry and asking the BJP to address the larger issues the episode had brought to light.

“This is a deplorable conduct, and our party abhors it. They are attributing this incident to us, yet we haven’t done anything wrong. No flags should be torn down or have anything hung from them. We vehemently oppose this behaviour. I don’t think our party members did it,” said Nayan Basak, the Regional TMC President.

The video has been shared on Twitter by Neha 네하 방카 @nehabnk with the caption: “A Kolkata nightclub hosted a “circus-themed party” & used captive, chained monkeys as entertainment. Videos show guests manhandling the animal. Kolkata Police has registered a case under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against the club.”

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

A Kolkata nightclub hosted a “circus-themed party” & used captive, chained monkeys as entertainment. Videos show guests manhandling the animal. Kolkata Police has registered a case under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act against the club.
pic.twitter.com/WKXCD2R6Ue

— Neha 네하 방카 (@nehabnk) June 18, 2023

In a particularly disheartening sight, a baby rhesus macaque wearing collar chains can be seen forced to dance and being petted at a club in Kolkata. The video serves as a stark reminder of the cruel reality faced by countless animals in captivity. It is vital to understand that wild animals, such as macaques, are not meant to be kept as pets or used for human entertainment. Their natural habitat and freedom are essential for their physical and psychological well-being.

The distressing footage reveals the use of coercive methods to train these innocent animals for human amusement, highlighting the urgent need for action to end such practices. The submissive baby macaque in the viral video is a clear indication of the ongoing abuse and exploitation of these intelligent creatures, who are often forcibly separated from their mothers, leading to immense trauma and long-lasting psychological effects.

The captive keeping of rhesus macaques in India is a contentious issue. While there are laws in place to protect wildlife with any undue cruelty to animals punishable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, abuse of rhesus macaques is still prevalent in some areas. The act prohibits any person from inflicting or causing any unnecessary pain or suffering to an animal.

As a part of its ongoing efforts to protect wildlife, Wildlife SOS operates a 24/7 helpline in Delhi-NCR (+91 9871963535), Agra (+91-9917109666), Vadodara (+91-9825011117), and J&K Region (+91 7006692300, +91 9419778280) dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating distressed animals across India.

Monkeys receive one of the highest numbers of rescue calls, with recent cases including a monkey being rescued from near the Udyog Bhawan area and a monkey with a baby rescued from a barbed wire fence in the Mithapur area of Delhi. In the past, Wildlife SOS has rescued monkeys kept in captivity for human entertainment and as pets including an Indian grey langur that lost its baby due to mistreatment.

“Due to low visibility, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s helicopter made an emergency landing at Sevoke Airbase. She was going to Bagdogra after addressing a public gathering at Krinti, Jalpaiguri. She is safe,” TMC leader Rajib Banerjee said.

“CM West Bengal was on board EC-145 helicopter of Heligo Charters pvt ltd from Maal Bazaar to Bagdogra. Diverted to Sevok road (army helicopter base) due to heavy rains and low clouds at Bagdogra. All ok on ground at sevok road. Helicopter awaiting weather to clear. It was a precautionary landing,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a statement.

Official said Mamata’s helicopter ran into bad weather while flying over the Baikunthapur forest.

“It was raining very heavily here, and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing,” an official told PTI.

After the incident, Mamata Banerjee travelled by road to the Bagdogra airport, and then fly back to Kolkata.

Notably, CM Mamata was touring parts of northern West Bengal to campaign for the panchayat elections, the polling for which will be held on July 8.

While addressing an election rally, CM Banerjee accused the BSF of scaring voters in the bordering areas of the state at the behest of the saffron camp and asked the police administration to keep a close watch on their activities.