West Bengal panchayat polls: At least 12 feared dead
At least 12 people were killed and scores more were injured in riots during the municipal elections in West Bengal, a state renowned for political violence during election campaigns, Indian media have reported.
On Saturday (8 July), voters are casting ballots in a tight race to elect local leaders, with over 200,000 candidates competing across the state of 104 million people.
West Bengal held a fiercely contested panchayat election on Saturday, pitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in a conflict for control of local administrations.
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In the election whose votes will be counted on 11 July, approximately 5.67 crore voters are anticipated to participate.
The candidates are racing for some 73,887 seats in a single-phase election conducted under strict security measures, reports Hindustan Times.
Since the election date was announced on 8 June, a series of violent incidents took place in the state, resulting in the deaths of 25 people.
The elections serve as an assessment for both parties prior to the crucial Lok Sabha elections of 2024.
Voting began at 7am Saturday and ended at 5pm.
