West Bengal's panchayat election today. 10 updates
panchayat samitis, and 61,591 seats in gram panchayats. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded candidates in 897 zilla parishad seats, 7,032 panchayat samiti seats, and 38,475 seats in gram panchayats. The CPI(M) is fighting 747 zilla parishad seats, 6,752 panchayat samiti seats, and 35,411-gram panchayat seats.
The Congress is contesting 644 zilla parishad seats, 2,197 panchayat samiti seats, and 11,774 gram panchayat seats. TMC's Panchayat campaign revolved around the development initiatives undertaken by the state government and the MGNREGA funds stopped by the Centre. The campaign by the opposition parties -- BJP, CPI(M), and the Congress -- mainly focussed on the allegations of corruption, from the panchayat level to the teachers' recruitment at the state level, and political violence.
Yesterday clash broke out between Trinamool Congress and Congress workers in the Shamsherganj area of Murshidabad district. A house was vandalized as the workers of the two parties came to blows. Multiple incidents of violence have been reported in the state in the run-up to the panchayat elections.
On July 1, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was allegedly shot dead in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district. As many as 5.67 crore people living in West Bengal's rural areas are eligible to vote. The counting of votes will take place on 11 July In the last panchayat elections in 2018, TMC bagged around 34% of the seats uncontested, and won 90% of the rest, amid allegations of violence.
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