At least 14 people have died in clashes during local elections in the state of West Bengal, as reported by the Times of India on July 8. Earlier, the death toll was reported as nine.
Voting started at 7:00 AM local time and lasted until 5:00 PM. Besides attacks on political activists, other election-related offences were registered in the state, such as assaults on polling stations, their blockade, and theft of ballot boxes. Local parties attribute the disorder to a shortage of central law enforcement personnel in remote areas. However, the ruling All India Trinamool Congress holds the central government of India responsible, while the opposition claims that the state's election commission should have deployed additional forces to maintain order.
A representative of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the state, Suvendu Adhikari, described the voting day as not elections but a massacre.
He stated, "Violence is rampant throughout the state. Reinforcement from the centre was not engaged, hidden surveillance cameras are not working. This is not voting; it is looting. Trinamool and the police have conspired, which is why violence is occurring," quoted the newspaper.
Local elections in West Bengal are seen as an important stage in preparation for the nationwide parliamentary elections in India in 2024. Since the announcement of the elections on June 8, around 20 people have died in various violent incidents, with supporters of rival parties repeatedly engaging in clashes, particularly during candidate document submissions. The dominant party in the region is the All India Trinamool Congress, which is in opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in India.
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