The West Bengal Election Commission’s announcement for Panchayat election and nomination filing on April 2 was greeted with a spate of violence across the state. The violence claimed its first casualty on April 4, As BJP candidate Ajit Murmu (35) succumbed to his injuries late on Wednesday night after being stabbed in front of the office of the Block Development Office (BDO) at Bankura district in the morning as he went to file in his nomination.
BJP MP Babul Supriyo tweeted criticising the ruling regime alleging that they had been behind the incidents of violence. ‘TMC goons' open spilling of wrath and violence all over Bengal on candidature filing day for #BengalPanchayatPoll2018, has resulted in brutal murder of Ajit Murmu, BJP's Panchayat candidate from Bankura. My heart goes out to his family. May they find strength to endure this loss,’ his tweet read.
Family members of Murmu have lodged a complaint at Ranibandh police station. A BJP delegation of party state leaders including state general secretaries Raju Banerjee and Sanjay Singh will visit Murmu’s residence Thursday morning.
It was also alleged that TMC workers were doing the rounds with firearms and sticks at Raiganj in North Dinajpore district’s BDO office and reportedly unloaded several rounds, and attacked those who tried to file their nominations on behalf of Opposition parties.
“They have unleashed violence and we anticipate there will be more as, on the behest of the state government, the SEC has kept one week for withdrawal of nomination. TMC will use all their strength to force people to withdraw their nominations. We are also ready to confront,” said Dilip Ghosh, state BJP president.
BJP district president of Bankura, Vivekananda Patra said that Bankura district police was equally responsible for Murmu’s death along with the TMC. “OC of Ranibandh PS was present at the spot when the incident happened. We demand punishment for offenders and suspension of police officials who were inactive,” he said.
TMC leaders, in a rebuttal, would meet the state election commissioner and West Bengal governor to complaint against the allegations levelled by state BJP leaders. “The governor takes immediate action on the basis of any complaint put in by BJP. It is a lie that the BJP was not able to file nominations. In fact, against the 1614 nominations filed by the TMC, BJP had filed 1143 while the CPI(M) and Congress had filed 351 and 127, respectively,” said state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee.
