DGP West Bengal Police & Kolkata Police Commissioner summoned by West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. (ANI photo)
KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry on Monday sought a detailed report from the Bengal government on the “post-election violence targeting opposition political workers in the state” that left 11 people dead since Sunday evening.
BJP reported six deaths in the alleged backlash, including of a party worker in Kolkata who was lynched soon after he posted videos on Facebook narrating how goons killed his pet dogs, and of an elderly woman in North 24-Parganas trying to save her son from a mob. Trinamool said it lost four workers in the wave of alleged political vendetta even as CM and party chief Mamata Banerjee appealed for peace. The ISF, which partnered Congress and Left in the polls, said one of its workers was killed.
Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee appealed for peace on Monday after Bengal erupted in violence with reports pouring in about attacks on BJP followers and even Red Volunteers working for Covid relief.
“Bengal loves peace and culture. Elections are over now. Sometimes it becomes very heated. There is also no denying that BJP and the central forces committed atrocities. I will request all to stay peaceful,” Mamata said on Monday from her Kalighat residence.
As per final results of the Assembly elections held for 292 of 294 seats, Trinamul has won 213 seats, two more than 2016; while the BJP has bagged 77. The two remaining seats were won by an Indian Secular Front candidate and an Independent. In 2016, Trinamul won 211 seats and then engineered largescale defections from the Congress.
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Kolkata, April 29
Stray incidents of violence were reported on Thursday from several areas where voting is under way for the eighth and last phase of Assembly election in Bengal, but the overall polling process has been peaceful with 37.8 per cent turnout till 11 am, EC officials said.
Voting is being held in 11,860 polling stations of 35 constituencies - 11 each in Murshidabad and Birbhum, six in Malda and seven in north Kolkata.
Earlier in the day, one person was killed and two others injured as a car hit them in Murshidabad district, triggering tension in the area, a police officer said.
The CPI(M) alleged that its member Kader Mondal (42) was killed, and two others - Asim Al Mamoon (43) and Lal Chand Mondal (42) - sustained injuries after TMC candidate Jafikul Islam ran his car over them.
Highlights
The eighth phase of the assembly poll in West Bengal on Thursday brought to an end the protracted voting schedule in the state
The last phase of the Assembly poll witnessed sporadic violence, assault of candidates, and death of a person during the day
Kolkata: The eighth phase of the assembly poll in West Bengal on Thursday (April 29) brought to an end the protracted voting schedule in the state. The last phase of the Assembly poll witnessed sporadic violence, assault of candidates, and death of a person during the day.
Voter turnout of 76.07 per cent was recorded till 5 pm in 35 constituencies where polling was conducted on Thursday and is expected to go up further after the polling ends at 6.30 PM, said a PTI report citing the Election Commission sources.