The State Election Commission (SEC) has announced that re-polling will be conducted in 697 booths spread across five districts in West Bengal following the violence during the panchayat polls. The districts where re-polling will take place are Purulia, Birbhum, Jalpaiguri, Nadia, and South 24 Parganas. The SEC has set the date for the re-polling as July 10, 2023, starting at 7:00 am and continuing uninterrupted until 5:00 pm. The decision to conduct re-polling aims to address concerns of ballot rigging and ensure a fair electoral process.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Khagen Murmu and BJP state general secretary Jagannath Chattopadhyay have called for re-polling, alleging misconduct and proxy voting in favor of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The violence during the panchayat polls resulted in 10 deaths and numerous injuries across the state.
Reports of booth capturing, ballot box damage, and assault on presiding officers emerged from districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, and Nadia. The panchayat elections witnessed widespread violence, looting of ballot papers, and rigging.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury criticized the ruling party’s collaboration with the police administration, stating that it has unleashed a reign of terror during the elections.
Polling initially began at 7:00 am with tight security measures in place, covering 73,887 seats in rural areas of West Bengal. Approximately 5.67 crore people were eligible to vote, deciding the fate of around 2.06 lakh candidates.