West Bengal witnesses an election with no deaths after decades.
::: Bloodless polls, record voting
The past two decades alone have seen at least 280 poll-related deaths in Bengal.
Poll violence had grown gradually to become part of Bengal’s 'political culture' since the first post-Independence election in the early 1950s
For the first time in recent memory, West Bengal — India's most politicised state — refused to reaffirm its reputation as the country’s most politically violent state.
But as the polling ended and polling agents returned home safely by late night or around 10 pm, there had been no reports of deaths, critical injuries or bombing.
Credit for this must go to the Election Commission and the CEC Gyanesh Kumar, who was subjected to personal attacks, but some credit should go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Home Minister Amit Shah who made repeated assertion that the TMC-ruled state will witness a peaceful election.
The huge turnout was due to the presence of large number of central forces - whose presence surprisingly did not please the state chief minister.
Allegations of attempts to jam booths 217 & 218 by TMC workers had surfaced. But Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari stepped out of his car and chased them away. He was of course assisted by security forces.
Psephologists and political scientists could not remember the last time the state had witnessed a big election with little or no bloodshed. One of them suggested the previous instance was 1977, but others contested the claim saying that election had been violent too.
“This may not be unprecedented, because not all such records exist in detail about every election in post-Independence Bengal. But this is certainly the first in recent memory,” political scientist Subhamoy Maitra said (The Telegraph, Kolkata).
PM Modi and the BJP can claim credit for ensuring an atmosphere of safety and security for the voters. The EC move too has been unprecedented.
All these have strengthened argument that the the election’s outcome in Bengal would be different. It certainly tells a story of Vote for 'ashol poriboton(effective change)".
For Modi, its a feather in the cap. In a historic mandate in 2019, the Prime Minister was given a second term to run the world’s largest democracy.
Modi became the first prime minister since 1971 to return to power with an absolute majority. He was the third one to do so after the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi.
And now ensuring a peaceful poll in West Bengal.
The state unit of BJP says: "A proud Bengali man speaks fearlessly:
I’m 70 years old. I have seen Congress, CPIM, and TMC. But this time I want to see 👉BJP. I would like to vote for change and give BJP a chance!
That’s because this time it has been #BhoyOutBhorosaIn
'fear out ... Trust/assurance of Safety and security in'.
The post shared a video of a news clipping.
Analysts say BJP’s political growth has been always linked to macho-nationalism; but this time the central government, the Home Minister and importantly the CEC Gyanesh Kukar hardened the stance against any kind of hooliganism and goondaism related to the polls.
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| Fish Fry journalism club : Still in their old vehicle |
“Nirvachan Sadan under Gyanesh Kumar has been questioned in several areas relating to upholding the constitutionally approved democratic practices, but it has definitely delivered on this core parameter," says Subhamoy Maitra.
Vote without fear in TMC stronghold: Central forces keep ‘bike gangs’ at bay
Several voters in the Falta Assembly constituency of South 24-Parganas said they could exercise their franchise after a decade
A man in his mid-30s came out of Totini Balika Vidyalay, along with his wife and mother, at Fatepur in the Falta Assembly constituency, one of the strongest bastions of Abhishek Banerjee, the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress and the Diamond Harbour MP, with a smiling face.
The man said they were happy because they could cast their votes for the candidate of their choice after the 2016 Assembly polls. (reports The Telegraph -generally guided by Fish fry and Sickular influences)
Mamata Banerjee has a track record of getting excited every time the official probe agencies got close to Kolkata mayor and Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim. This time .. there was an exception.
Mayor Firhad Hakim was told that Opposition workers should not be harassed. “Aapka ladka log dusre party ka logo ko padeshan na kare
(Your boys should not harass Opposition party workers),” Hakim quoted one security telling him.
Armed central paramilitary personnel landed at the Calcutta mayor’s house in Chetla around 12.45am on Tuesday to tell him that if there was a “problem” on polling day, “mushkil ho jayega (there will be trouble)”.
“They knew they were visiting the mayor’s home. One of them asked me, ‘Aap mayor saab ho (Are you the mayor)?" he said.
Even if TMC has lost the polls but situation in WB will take quite sometime to stabilize. ... law & order situation including and corruption needs to be taken care of. Getting investments will be a big challenge. - Mr Vidhan, Vrindavan
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