West Bengal Governor Holds State Election Commissioner Accountable For Violence Ahead Of Panchayat Polls

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose held the State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha accountable for the violence that has unfolded during the ongoing panchayat elections.

Expressing his disappointment, the Governor said, "I appointed you, but you have let down the people. Your actions have been sinful, betraying both the people and the Constitution. The people have made this assessment against you, as you have acted against the principles of justice and the judiciary."

Governor Bose further emphasized that the SEC must take responsibility for the lives lost during the violent incidents. He urged the SEC to fulfill his duty, stating that the people of Bengal expect him to do so.

Since the announcement of the polls on 8 June, a total of 17 individuals have lost their lives. The latest case is from Birbhum district where husband of an Independent candidate was found dead near a pond on Thursday (6 July) morning.

The Opposition party has accused the Trinamool of being responsible for these deaths. However, the Trinamool has vehemently denied these allegations, stating that the majority of the deceased were actually members of their own party.

The three-tier panchayat system, consisting of zilla parishad, panchayat samiti, and gram panchayat, will involve approximately 5.67 crore eligible voters residing in rural areas of West Bengal.

The voting will take place in a single phase and is scheduled for Saturday. The counting of votes will be done on 11 July.