West Bengal panchayat polls: TMC's political violence graph coincides with BJP's rise in state

The acronym of TMC (Trinamool Congress) could very well be Trinamool ‘Murder’ Congress. Statistics suggest that the escalation of political violence and the rise of the BJP in West Bengal are strongly correlated. Since the 2019 Lok Sabha election, which saw the BJP win 18 seats compared to the TMC’s 22, the level of violence has increased. As the primary rival, the BJP has replaced the Left Front as Mamata Banerjee-led TMC’s main opponent. The 2021 Assembly election results further established the party’s credentials as the principal challenger to the ruling party, after it gained 77 MLAs, an increase of 74 seats. It received 38.13 per cent of the vote, an increase of 28.13 per cent compared to the three seats and 10 per cent vote share it got in the 2016 state election. In the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, BJP had received just 18 per cent of the vote, winning two seats. Following the BJP’s rise to prominence as the main Opposition party in the state, the political landscape in West Bengal underwent a significant transformation. It resulted in a sharp rise in the number of political murders. Fifty-seven BJP workers died in 2021, compared to 12 in 2019. The deadly trend continues, as the ongoing panchayat elections have already resulted in 16 killings, mostly of BJP workers. Since 2011, when TMC first gained power, defeating the Left Front government, killings of political rivals have broken all previous records. The role of TMC cadres in suppressing any opposition in Bengal is a significant factor that contributes to their ability to control power and maintain dominance in the state. The TMC cadres are notorious for their involvement in various acts of violence, such as intimidation, assault, and even murder, which further solidifies their grip on power and instils fear among the rivals. One glaring example is the mayhem during the Panchayat elections 2018, where TMC cadres were accused of resorting to extreme violence to ensure their party’s victory. There were reports of numerous Opposition candidates being attacked, polling booths being stormed, and even instances of ballot box snatching. They are once again using brute force in the current Panchayat poll. It is to be noted that the murderous trend was started by the Congress, mostly after the Emergency and became the modus operandi of the Communists in Bengal. The TMC inherited or welcomed the killers, continuing the bloody trend. TMC’s use of such brutal tactics has not only suppressed any opposition to Mamata but has also sent a strong message that any dissent within the party would not be tolerated, thus maintaining their dominant position in Bengal. The party’s ability to successfully control the media narrative surrounding the elections has also helped. There have been several reports of TMC leaders pressuring or even threatening journalists and media outlets to favourably report on their party. This manipulation of the media not only created a distorted image of the elections but has also prevented critical voices from being heard. As a result, the TMC’s violent tactics and undemocratic behaviour are largely unnoticed by the wider public, allowing the thugs to continue their murderous reign without facing significant consequences. The BJP’s rapid growth in West Bengal has sent shockwaves across the TMC and ignited a fierce battle for political supremacy. The BJP has strategically targeted constituencies where the TMC traditionally has a strong grip and successfully secured a significant number of seats. This power struggle has fuelled intense campaigning and fierce debates. It has also led to violent clashes between supporters of both parties, further escalating tensions in the region. Bengal’s poll violence data is fudged. TMC is further indulging in manipulating data on violence to control the narrative. RTI evidence reveals that there were more than 400 per cent fewer poll deaths, than the number, reported to the NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau) in 2021. The state only reported seven political homicides in 2021, according to the NCRB. Yet, the RTI records obtained by Biswanath Goswami, a socio-legal researcher and RTI activist show that in nine of the state’s police districts, there were 49 political murder victims in 2021. Since more than 12 police districts did not participate or produce reports in response to the inquiries, it should be noted that even the RTI report is not definitive. According to NCRB records, West Bengal has witnessed 34 instances of political violence, with seven fatalities. Goswami requested information on political murders and violence by submitting 30 distinct requests to authorities in 30 police districts. Contrary to police responses in 12 police districts, there were 809 instances of political violence in 2021 alone in other districts, with 49 people dying in just nine districts. For example, there were 123 incidents of political violence in the East Burdwan police district alone, resulting in nine deaths. Seven deaths were due to violence during elections. A total of 132 occurrences of political violence were reported to the West Medinipur police district, while 37 incidents, including six fatalities, were reported to the Hoogly Rural police district. The year 2021 also saw two victims of political violence in each of the four police districts of Krishnanagar, Baruipur, Bashirhaat and Jalpaiguri. The RTI report alleged that police officials minimised instances of political violence in restive areas like Murshidabad claiming they lacked pertinent information. In a similar vein, police in Birbhum district denied political violence-related deaths, only mortalities from electoral violence. The Asansol police district reported instances of political violence, claiming there were no fatalities. The Kolkata Police Commissionerate and Chandannagar, two areas plagued by TMC terrorism, declined to respond to the RTI requests. Political violence is an old shadow haunting West Bengal’s history. Altogether, 365 politically motivated murders were committed in West Bengal between 1999 and 2016, according to a report published in a leading media house on 16 May, 2019. Since then, irrespective of the party in power, that tradition has continued to flourish. The author is the national head of BJP’s Information & Technology and Sah Prabhari of West Bengal. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.