Shillong, July 11: The counting of votes for the 73,887 seats in West Bengal’s three-tier panchayat system commenced on Tuesday amidst incidents of sporadic violence and clashes across the state.
Out of the total seats, 928 are at the zilla parishad level, 9,730 at the panchayat samiti level, and 63,229 at the gram panchayat level.
The ruling Trinamool Congress gained an advantage in the counting process as they secured uncontested victories in 8,941 seats, including 16 at the zilla parishad level, 981 at the panchayat samiti level, and 7,944 at the gram panchayat level. No other party won any uncontested seats at the zilla parishad level.
At the panchayat samiti level, independent candidates won 10 uncontested seats, while at the gram panchayat level, the BJP won two seats, the CPI(M) secured three, and independent candidates won 53 seats.
However, reports of sporadic violence have emerged from various areas in the state since the start of the counting process. West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose arrived in Kolkata and visited Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, which has been a hotspot of violence.
Incidents of clashes between Congress and Trinamool Congress occurred in Samserganj, Murshidabad district, where crude bombs were thrown. In Jangipara, Hooghly district, the police resorted to a lathi charge within the CPI(M) office. CPI(M) supporters in Bagnan, Howrah district, staged roadblocks and set tires on fire, alleging forceful eviction of their agents from the counting station by ruling party activists. Similar clashes were reported in Galsi, East Burdwan.