News Analysis India

Tag: West Bengal Polls 2021

  • CBI to conduct zone-wise investigation of post-poll violence cases in West Bengal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI will carry out zone-wise investigation of post-poll violence cases in West Bengal, with each zone being looking into by a joint director-rank officer to ensure an exhaustive probe into alleged heinous crimes, officials said on Tuesday.

    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has deputed four teams in the state, which has been divided into four zones to carry out investigations into the alleged rape and murder cases reported in the aftermath of the assembly election results announced on May 2, they said.

    The central agency has dispatched an unprecedented force headed by four joint directors, and comprising as many DIGs and 16 superintendents of police and investigators drawn from across the country who will be stationed in the four zones, the officials said.

    The teams have already started the ground work in their areas as the CBI has sought from the DGP of West Bengal the details of all alleged rape and murder cases reported after the elections, they said.

    Following a report from an NHRC committee on July 13, a five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the allegations.

    Passing a unanimous judgement on a batch of PILs seeking an independent probe into the incidents of alleged violence after the polls which the ruling TMC won by an overwhelming majority, the bench also ordered the constitution of an SIT of state police officers to probe all other cases.

    The SIT will include Suman Bala Sahoo, Soumen Mitra and Ranveer Kumar, all IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre.

    The bench will monitor the investigations by both the CBI and the SIT, and asked the two agencies to submit status reports to the court within six weeks It said there are allegations of complainants being threatened to withdraw cases and a number of cases of murder being claimed as natural deaths without recording FIRs and conducting investigations.

    Noting that the West Bengal Police did not properly respond to allegations of inaction and tried to downplay them, the bench said, “It certainly needs investigation by an independent agency.”

    It said three months have lapsed since the matter was taken up by the court, but “no concrete action has been taken by the state which could inspire confidence, except filing affidavits and placing on record thousands of papers”.

  • After TMC, Bengal BJP may move court seeking recounting in narrowly lost seats

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The BJP is weighing the option of moving the court praying for recounting in assembly seats where the party had conceded defeat by narrow margins in the recent election in West Bengal, state party president Dilip Ghosh said on Saturday.

    “We are discussing the issue with our lawyers,” Ghosh told reporters in Murshidabad.

    Ghosh’s statement came after the Trinamool Congress filed petitions in the Calcutta High Court urging recounting in five assembly constituencies, including Nandigram, where the party lost by slender margins.

    In the Nandigram seat in Purba Medinipur district, party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost to her protege-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP by 1956 votes.

    Apart from Nandigram, TMC candidates of Moyna, Bongaon Dakshin, Goghat and Balarampur assembly constituencies filed election petitions in the high court seeking recounting.Wesr 

  • Three TMC workers, one BJP supporter killed in post-poll clashes in Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman

    By PTI
    BURDWAN: Four people were allegedly killed in clashes between the TMC and the BJP in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district after the election results were announced, official sources said on Monday.

    The Trinamool Congress claimed three of its supporters were killed by the BJP, which rejected the allegations, saying the incidents were the result of “people’s resistance”.

    A few TMC supporters were on the way to Nabagram in the Jamalpur police station area on their motorcycles in the afternoon when they were allegedly attacked in Odishapara by BJP workers, local sources said.

    They were thrashed and their bikes vandalised, the TMC alleged.

    ALSO READ | MHA asks West Bengal government to send report on post-poll political violence in state

    The injured were taken to different hospitals for treatment.

    Shahjahan Shah (38) and Bibhash Bag (30) were declared dead when taken to the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital.

    Kakali Khsetrapal (47) was declared dead when taken to the Jamalpur Hospital, local sources said.

    The TMC claimed Shahjahan and Bibhash were their supporters.

    TMC block president Mehmood Khan said, “BJP workers carried out the attack in a planned manner. They are taking to violence in different places.”

    The BJP said Kakali was a supporter of the party who was allegedly killed in the attack.

    “TMC activists came to the area shouting ‘Joy Bangla’ and ‘Khela Hobe’ slogans around 11 am. They came to attack us but we built a counter-resistance and then they fled,” said Ashish Kshetrapal, the BJP’s chief of the Nabgram area.

    “A while later they returned through another route and came to my house. They attacked my family members and my mother died in the attack. TMC supporters also vandalised and looted 17-18 houses in the area. My father and uncle were also injured in the attack,” he alleged.

    ALSO READ | Nandigram poll officer feared for his life, so did not give recounting order: Mamata Banerjee

    Police said 23 people have been detained in connection with the incident and a huge contingent of central forces have been deployed in the area.

    An officer of Jamalpur police station said the situation was under control.

    In another incident in Samaspur in the Raina police station area, a 55-year-old man was killed in TMC-BJP clashes on Sunday night.

    According to local sources, clashes broke out in the village between the two sides after the election results were announced.

    Ganesh Mallick, known in the area as TMC supporter, was injured after being hit by bamboo sticks.

    He was admitted to the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital where he died, sources said.

    “My father was discussing the results of the election with a few others when BJP workers attacked them. My father was thrashed with a bamboo stick,” his son Manoj said.

    “I demand stringent punishment for those involved,” he added.

    BJP’s district general secretary Shyamal Roy said this incident is not at all political but a family dispute.

    “BJP was being linked to it unnecessarily,” he said.

    TMC’s district spokesperson Prosenjit Das said the BJP was resorting to violence in various areas after losing the election.

    ALSO WATCH:

    TMC supporters were also accused of vandalising the homes and shops of BJP workers in various parts of Galshi after the results were announced.

    Several shops belonging to BJP supporters were vandalized in and around Ramgopalpur, Shirrai and Karakdal.

    Several people were also beaten up.

    Locals alleged that no action was taken even after the police were informed.

  • MHA asks West Bengal government to send report on post-poll political violence in state

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Monday sought a report from the West Bengal government on post-poll violence targeting opposition workers in the state.

    Political workers, including from BJP, were allegedly targeted by opponents since the announcement of results for the 292-member West Bengal assembly where the ruling Trinamool Congress emerged victorious.

    “MHA has asked West Bengal Government for a report on the post-election violence targeting opposition political workers in the state,” a spokesperson tweeted.

    The BJP has alleged that one of its party offices in Hooghly district was set on fire, and some of its leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari, were heckled by TMC activists in other parts of the state.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged her supporters to maintain peace and asked them not to fall prey to provocations.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Arrogance, might, money power lost in West Bengal: Congress leader Kapil Sibal

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Following Trinamool Congress’ thumping win in assembly elections in West Bengal, Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Monday said “arrogance, might, money power and using Jai Shri Ram for politics” lost the polls in the state.

    Sibal also hailed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is all set to continue her third term in West Bengal.

    “In West Bengal, who lost – arrogance, might, money power, using Jai Shri Ram for politics, a divisive agenda and the Election Commission. She (Mamata Benerjee) stood up to them and won,” the Congress leader said in a tweet.

    As per the latest trends of the Election Commission, TMC has won 209 seats and is leading in four. About 47.94 per cent of the total voted were in the TMC’s favour. It received about 38.1 per cent of the total. Bharatiya Janata Party, on the other hand, has secured 76 seats and is leading in one.

    Bengal witnessed a fierce contest between the ruling TMC and BJP across eight phases. The Samyukta Morcha comprising the Congress, Left parties and ISF has also tried to put up a strong fight. The BJP has made a concerted attempt to dislodge the TMC.

  • West Bengal Assembly polls: BJP candidate Chandana Bauri, wife of daily wage labourer, wins Saltora

    By Online Desk
    BJP candidate Chandana Bauri scripted one of the historic wins in the West Bengal Assembly polls that will be long remembered by the people of the state.

    Chandana, the wife of a daily wage earner, won from West Bengal’s Saltora constituency. The 30-year-old Chandana Bauri defeated TMC candidate Sontosh Kumar Mondal by a margin of more than 4,000 votes.

    Following Chandana’s win, many took to Twitter and hailed her for this astounding success, despite coming from a humble background.

    According to the election affidavit filed by her, Chandana’s assets amount to just Rs 31,985, while her husband’s assets worth meager Rs 30,311. Chandana’s husband works as a mason for daily wages. Chandana, a mother of three children, along with her husband also owns three cows and three goats.

    During an interaction with ANI in March, earlier this year, she said, “Before the tickets were announced I had no idea that I would be selected as a candidate in the legislative assembly polls. Many people encouraged me to apply for a nomination online, but I did not think I would be able to achieve this feat.”

    Many hailed Chandana’s win as splendid and inspiring. Check out some of the reactions of people on Twitter.

    Congratulations on a splendid & inspiring victory Smt.Chandana Bauri ji.@BJP4Bengal https://t.co/d1LgtfSfNa
    — Sumiran Komarraju (@SumiranKV) May 2, 2021

    #Chandana Bauri Is Leading and will Declared Winner within Hours She Is Daily wager @doctorrichabjp Ji https://t.co/3auYYqYb3x
    — Shubham Thorat (@Shubham36551970) May 2, 2021

    Chandana Bouri from Saltora constituency has won by 4145 votes!Remember-her total worth is ₹31,985 with three goats, three cows and one hut. pic.twitter.com/1pTVxauY7D
    — Bengali Babu (@hatecommie) May 2, 2021

    Chandana Bouri from Saltora constituency has won by 4145 votes…. pic.twitter.com/LjbelrOBSw
    — Abhijit Basak (@Abhijit_Basak83) May 2, 2021

    Show her.. victory of this common woman.. chandana bauri Saltora seat.. a woman with no political background, Money powerThis is the reason to smile.. pic.twitter.com/1NR6bp519r
    — Sanjay Shrivastava #जय श्री राम (@casanjay_shri) May 2, 2021

  • Primary task of new TMC govt will be to put health system back on track: Firhad Hakim

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Asserting that the TMC will storm back to power in West Bengal, senior party leader and outgoing urban development minister Firhad Hakim on Sunday said the primary task of the new government would be to put the state’s “derailed health system back on track”, amid the relentless surge in COVID-19 cases.

    He also said that the TMC, after coming to power, will have to shoulder greater responsibilities in the wake of the pandemic-induced crisis, and celebrations and victory rallies can take a back seat.

    “We will win the elections with two-thirds majority and form government in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee will be our chief minister for the third time. This will be the victory of common people. Our success will prompt us to shoulder bigger responsibilities,” he said.

    Hakim, who is also the chairman of Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s board of administrators, further said that he had been running from one hospital to another to take stock of the facilities available, and reach out to the patients with necessary aid.

    “Our primary job will be to bring the health system back on track. I believe that it will be a very difficult task. I am not a minister any more, but I have been running from one hospital to another and from one safe home to the other. I cannot shrug off my responsibilities,” the 62- year-old leader said.

    Asked if he was apprehensive about the poll results, Hakim said, “We have worked for the people and there lies the secret of our success. I am not tensed, as I am confident that the TMC will win the elections comfortably. People voted for us because they are happy with our performance. They have not voted on religious lines.”

    Hakim, after the sixth round of counting, is surging ahead of his nearest rival, BJP’s Awadh Kishore Gupta, by 33,071 votes in Kolkata Port constituency.

     

  • TMC consolidates lead in Bengal, trends hint at huge victory

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The ruling TMC looks set to retain power in West Bengal with its candidates leading in 187 of the state’s 292 seats that went to poll against BJP’s 85, as trends were available for 275 seats.

    Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was, however, trailing her former protege-turned-BJP rival Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram by over 8,000 votes.

    Belying expectations of a tight contest, the TMC candidates appeared galloping to victory, and, if the current trends hold, the party will easily form its third successive government in the state.

    Two of the BJP Lok Sabha MPs Babul Supriyo, a minister in the Narendra Modi government, and Locket Chatterjee, were trailing in Tollygunge and Chuunchura seats.

    FOLLOW POLL RESULTS HERE

    Supriyo represents Asansol and Chatterjee Hooghly seat in the Lok Sabha.

    However, BJP MP from Cooch Behar Nishith Pramanik was leading in Dinahata.

    Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the TMC candidate for Bhabanipore that Mamata Banerjee vacated to contest from Nandigram, is leading his BJP rival Rudraneil Ghosh by over 3,000 votes.

    Firhad Hakim, a state minister and Banerjee confidante was also leading.

  • BJP expresses confidence about victory in West Bengal elections 2021

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: A day after exit polls gave a divided opinion on the outcome of the West Bengal Assembly election, the BJP expressed confidence on Friday that it will form the next government in the state by winning a majority of the seats after the votes are counted on Sunday.

    “We will get a full majority and form the next government comfortably,” BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav, a key member of the party’s brain trust, said.

    Asked about a few poll forecasts that have given an edge to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, he exuded confidence that the saffron party will get people’s blessings.

    BJP’s IT wing head Amit Malviya, who was actively involved in the campaign as the party’s co-incharge for West Bengal, also expressed confidence about the saffron party forming its maiden government in the eastern state.

    ALSO READ | Exit polls 2021: West Bengal too close to call, DMK has cruising victory, LDF to enjoy second turn

    “We will win comprehensively,” he said and dismissed those exit polls that have put the TMC ahead, saying that is not going to happen.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will very much form the next government, he added.

    The exit polls on Thursday forecast a tight contest between the incumbent TMC and the BJP in the high-profile West Bengal Assembly polls.

    India Today-Axis My India predicted a neck-and-neck contest, giving the BJP 134-160 and the TMC 130-156 seats.

    The Republic-CNX polls also gave the BJP a slight edge by projecting 138-148 seats for the party in the 294-member Assembly and 128-138 to the TMC.

    However, Times Now-C Voter predicted a clear majority for the TMC by projecting 158 seats for the party and 115 for the BJP.

    The Jan Ki Baat exit polls, however, predicted a strong majority for the BJP in West Bengal, giving it 162-185 seats, against 104-121 to the TMC.

    The TMC had won 211 seats and the BJP only three in the 2016 West Bengal polls.

    The Left-Congress alliance was forecast to be further marginalised in the fiercely bipolar contest.

  • West Bengal polls 2021: 76 per cent polling recorded in final phase, BJP candidate attacked

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Stray incidents of violence between supporters of the BJP and Trinamool Congress marked the eighth and the final phase of the Assembly elections in West Bengal on Thursday. The state recorded 76.07 per cent voter turnout till 5 pm.

    Anirban Ganguly, the BJP’s candidate in Bolpur in Birbhum district was chased away when he went to Ilambazar area. Villagers, armed with sticks and bricks, were seen running after him. His vehicle was vandalized. “I went to Ilambazar after receiving complaints that TMC’s goons were not allowing our supporters to go to the booths,” he said.

    TMC candidate from Birbhum and state minister Chandranath Sinha rubbished Ganguly’s allegations and said villagers drove him away as the BJP candidate was trying to influence the voters. “Wherever he (Ganguly) went, people came out in protest as he tried influencing them. He is the one who actually attempted to disrupt peace. Polling, otherwise, has been very peaceful in Bolpur,” Sinha said.

    In Kolkata’s Beleghata area, supporters of the TMC and the BJP attacked each other with bricks and glass bottles. Three persons were injured. Violence were also reported from other parts of the state. In Jalangi constituency in Murshidabad, clashes broke out between the supporters of TMC and CPM.

    Six TMC supporters, including three women, were injured when CPM supporters allegedly opened fire. Clashes broke out between the supporters of the TMC on one side and those of CPM and the Indian Secular Force (ISF) on the other. Three people were injured in the clashes.

    In Hariharpara constituency, Murshidabad, Congress supporters alleged that the activists of the ruling party attacked their supporters when they were going to the polling booths. Voting was held in 11,860 polling stations of the 35 constituencies 11 each in Murshidabad and Birbhum, six in Malda, and seven in north Kolkata, the sources said. The poll panel deployed 641 companies of central forces in the final phase.