BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad arrives in Kolkata with fact-finding team to probe violence during Gram Panchayat polls

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 12 : Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday arrived in Kolkata with the fact-finding team constituted by the party to inquire into the violence that erupted during the Gram Panchayat elections. 

"We will visit the violence-affected areas and meet the victims and after that, we will submit our report to party president JP Nadda," said Prasad. 

On Tuesday, the BJP constituted a four-member fact-finding committee in the wake of the widespread violence during the Panchayat elections in the state.

Earlier today, MP Prasad said, "Why should more than 40 people lose their lives in the gram panchayat election? Why the so-called colleagues who are trying to forge an alliance against Narendra Modi are maintaining a conspicuous silence? We will visit and submit our report to the President. I hope the Mamata government will allow us to visit the affected areas?"

Violence broke out in West Bengal ahead of the Gram Panchayat elections which was previously to be held on July 8. However, the voting day was marred with widespread violence, looting of ballots papers and rigging.

There were reports of booth capturing, damaging of ballot boxes and assault of presiding officers from several districts such as Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur and Nadia.Reports also emerged of ballot boxes being set on fire and clashes between political parties in different locations.

As a result, the State Election Commission announced the re-pollling of Panchayat election on July 10. So, it concluded on Monday and the counting was carried out on Tuesday, July 11.

The Trinamool Congress won in 28,985 and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 7,764 seats while Congress has secured 2,022 seats so far. TMC was leading on 1,540 panchayat seats while BJP was leading on 417, according to the State Election Commission (SEC) as of 10.30 pm on Tuesday.

West Bengal has 3,341 gram panchayats and the number of village panchayat election centres is 58,594. There are 63,239 seats at the Gram Panchayat level, 9730 at Panchayat Samiti and 928 at the Zila Parishad level. The counting of votes will be held on July 11.

In 2018, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) won uncontested, 34 per cent of the seats in panchayat elections, which also saw various instances of violence.