"We won't let democracy die": JP Nadda on West Bengal Panchayat poll violence

New Delhi [India], July 8 : Amid the reports of violence during voting for the Panchayat election across West Bengal, BJP president JP Nadda on Saturday spoke to the state leader of opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari and BJP West Bengal in-charge Mangal Pandey on panchayat poll violence and assured them that the BJP won't let democracy die in West Bengal.

He further assured that the fight against violence by the TMC party will be brought to a conclusion in a democratic way.

"BJP will not let this death of democracy happen, and we will take this fight to a decisive level in a democratic way," said BJP president JP Nadda.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, workers of the state BJP staged a protest outside the State Election Commission office in Kolkata against the election-related violence in the state.

Several incidents of election-related violence have been reported from different districts in West Bengal, with the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party accusing each other of killing their party workers.

Several incidents of ballot box and ballot paper looting as well as destruction were reported from numerous polling booths in the state.

Earlier, the State Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, attacked the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for violence during the three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal, saying that the state is burning and the Central government should intervene with Article 355 or Article 356 (President's Rule).

He alleged that more than 20,000 booths had been captured by hooligans of the ruling party in the presence of police.

"West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose is trying his best to save lives and restore peace. But, his appeal has gone to waste as the election-related violence continued in the state," he said.

"Now it is 3 pm, and more than 15 people have been brutally killed by the goons. More than 20,000 booths have been captured by TMC hooligans, in the presence of state police. CAPF is totally non-functioning due to the non-cooperation of the district police," Adhikari added.

West Bengal has 3,341-gram panchayats, and the number of village panchayat election centers is 58,594. There are 63,239 seats at the Gram Panchayat level, 9730 at the Panchayat Samiti level, and 928 at the Zila Parishad level.

The counting of votes will be held on July 11.