Elections for representatives to fill about 928 seats among 22 Zilla parishads, 9,730 Panchayat Samities, and 63,229 Gramme Panchayat seats are set for West Bengal.
With a projected turnout of 5.67 crore people, the pre-election environment has been marred by widespread violence, raising questions about the safety and security of voters and political workers.
Panchayat Elections 2023
For control of local governments, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Indian Secular Front (ISF), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are in a bitter power struggle.
Both parties will use the polls as a major litmus test before the impending Lok Sabha elections next year. The TMC won a sizable number of seats in the 2018 Panchayat elections unopposed despite the conflict.
- West Bengal elections for 928 seats.
- Trinamool Congress, ISF, and BJP fight for local government control.
- TMC blames BJP, CPI(M), Congress for violence; BJP accuses Congress of planning attacks.
Around 800 companies of Central forces have been stationed on the ground to uphold law and order. Three TMC party members were killed in Rejinagar, Tufanganj, and Khargram, while two other people were shot and injured in Domkol.
The TMC has blamed the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress for the violence. In retaliation, the BJP has accused the Trinamool Congress of planning the attacks and violence during the polls.
Power dynamics at the local level will be determined by the ongoing Panchayat elections, which are important for West Bengal’s political landscape. Restoring calm while guaranteeing a fair and secure atmosphere for voting for all citizens is a task for the authorities.
