A day after the results of Vidhan Sabha elections for the States of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were declared, social media users informed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that polls could be conducted without violence.
BJP IT Cell Head, Amit Malviya, tweeted, “Yesterday, results for two state elections were announced. Incumbent retained one, lost another. But no instance of violence, booth capturing, intimidation, rape or murder of political workers reported.”
“But all this happened under Mamata Banerjee’s watch after WB results last year…”he added.
Y’day, results for two state elections were announced. Incumbent retained one, lost another. But no instance of violence, booth capturing, intimidation, rape or murder of political workers reported.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 9, 2022
But all this happened under Mamata Banerjee’s watch after WB results last year…
While tagging Mamata Banerjee, popular Twitter user Rashmi Samant wrote, “BJP loses: Zero people killed; BJP wins: Zero people killed.”
BJP looses : Zero people killed
— Rashmi Samant (@RashmiDVS) December 9, 2022
BJP wins : Zero people killed@MamataOfficial
One Twitter user pointed out, “Election of Gujarat and HP showed how elections are done. No pre-poll or post-poll violence. No bombs..no bullets. No booth capture. No stopping the opposition from filing nominations…That’s real democracy…#NoVoteToMamata.”
Election of Gujarat and HP showed how elections r done.
— Hitech_Sanghi (@sanghi_hitech) December 9, 2022
No pre poll or post poll violence
No bombs.. no bullets.
No booth capture.
No stopping the opposition from filing nominations..
That’s real democracy…#NoVoteToMamata#MamataDestroyBengal
“That is also without any violence, murders etc otherwise Indian public has already seen what happened during CPM rule in West Bengal and what’s going on in Mamta rule in West Bengal. In the last election of West Bengal, there was unbelievable post and pre-election murders and violence,” another Twitter user said.
That is also without any violence, murders etc otherwise Indian public already seen what happened during cpm rule in West Bengal and what’s going on in mamta rule in West Bengal. In last election of West Bengal there was unbelievable post and pre election murders and violence.
— mukeshpanwar (@mukeshpanwarrr) December 8, 2022
2021 Post-poll violence orchestrated by TMC
Using violence as an instrument to subdue their political opponents has become a distinctive feature of the TMC rule in West Bengal. Ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led retained power in the state, the persecution of dissenters and opposition workers has only intensified.
In an overwhelming number of such incidents, the victims have been BJP supporters and workers while the accused were said to be the supporters of the TMC party. More than a dozen BJP workers lost their lives in the post-poll violence that ensued following the victory of the TMC party in the assembly elections in 2021.
As per reports, 303 people were forced to flee their homes. Among them, 47 victims were unable to return to their workplaces while 92 victims had their houses demolished. About 164 victims were forcibly evicted from their homes and were thus unable to return to their places of residence.
OpIndia reached out to some of the victims of the violence and spoke with them about their horrific experiences, a year after the post-poll violence in West Bengal.
Earlier in February this year, elections in 108 municipalities in 20 districts of West Bengal were marred by incidents of violence, vandalism, assault, and election malpractices.
The ‘fraudulent’ elections took place in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s decision to not deploy central armed forces for the civic body polls in the State.
