Several incidents of post-poll violence from various parts of West Bengal were reported on June 5, a day after the results of Lok Sabha election were declared and the Trinamool Congress bagged 29 seats of the total 42 seats reducing the BJP to 12 seats in the State.
Incidents of post-poll violence were reported across several districts in the State from Cooch Behar in north Bengal, North 24 Parganas district and South 24 Parganas in south Bengal and Jhargram in Jangalmahal region.
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At Natabari in Cooch Behar, a BJP supporter attacked a Trinamool worker with a gun with a video of the incident going viral. There were clashes between ruling party and BJP supporters in the area.
Several houses of BJP supporters and a party office were allegedly vandalised at Barasat constituency’s Madhyamgram in North 24 Parganas district. Those who were involved in the incident were allegedly armed with iron rods and guns.
The police and personnel of the Central armed police forces reached the spot. However, the miscreants returned and ransacked the area after the security forces had left.
Bhatpara in North 24 Parganas that falls in Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency also witnessed violence. The houses of BJP workers were attacked and crude bombs were hurled after the results were declared.
There were reports of a BJP agent’s house being vandalised in South 24 Parganas’ Narendrapur and crude bombs being hurled at the residence of a BJP worker in Howrah.
The West Bengal BJP leadership said several party supporters had to escape from Sandeshkhali after the Lok Sabha results were declared. Sandeshkhali falls under Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in North 24 Parganas. About 40 families of BJP workers took shelter at a party office in Jadavpur area in south Kolkata.
The incidents of post-poll violence were reported in seats where the BJP lost to the Trinamool. Not only BJP supporters but the workers of Communist Party of India (Marxist) were targeted in Bijoygarh, Kamarhati and Jadavpur, the areas located in the suburbs of the city.
On June 2, a day after polling ended, a BJP worker was killed in Nadia district allegedly in an incident of post-poll violence. Another murder was reported from the district on Wednesday. The police are trying to ascertain whether the death of the Trinamool supporter who was shot at and killed was in connection with a political rivalry.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has decided to deploy about 400 companies of Central armed police forces in the State till June 19 to contain incidents of post-poll violence.
West Bengal had witnessed widespread incidents of post-poll violence after the 2021 Assembly polls when the Trinamool had defeated the BJP. The State has a history of political violence and more than 40 people lost their lives in the panchayat elections held last year.
