Bengal panchayat polls: Woman alleges assault, molestation by TMC workers on polling day

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 20 (ANI): A gram sabha candidate on Thursday alleged that she was physically assaulted and molested by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers on July 8, the polling day of Panchayat polls, an official statement said.
The victim alleged that the Trinamool goons stripped her naked and paraded her around the village on panchayat election day.
According to the officials, the incident happened in Dakshin Panchla under the Panchla police station in Howrah district.
After the incident, an FIR was filed by the victim at the Panchla police station.
"On the polling day (8 July 2023), while the voting was ongoing, the TMC candidate of the same Gram Sabha named Hemanta Roy, and few other TMC supported anti-social elements named Alfi Sk., Sukamal Panja, Ranabir Panja, Sanju Das, Noor Alam and about 40-50 other miscreants physically assaulted me at the polling station. They hit me on my chest, and head with sticks and pushed me out of the polling booth," read the FIR.
"While some of these men were hitting me Himanta Roy instigated Ali Sheikh and Sukamal Panja to tear my saree and inner dress. They further assaulted me and force undress me to naked and molested me in front of other people," the FIR added.
The Panchayat elections in West Bengal took place on July 8 and counting of the votes for 63,229 -Gram Panchayat seats took place on July 11.
TMC has won 28,985 seats and the 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).
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has won 2,409 seats and is leading in 260 seats. Other parties won 725 seats and led on 23 seats, while independents which included TMC rebels won 1,656 seats and are maintaining a lead in 104 seats.
Elections were held on July 8 under tight security, with approximately 5.67 crore voters participating and deciding the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates vying for 73,887 seats in rural areas of West Bengal.
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. (ANI)