NEW DELHI: The three-tier West Bengal panchayat elections, to be held in a single phase on July 8, is being seen as a litmus test for both the TMC and the BJP in Bengal ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Filing of nomination began on Friday and will continue till June 15. The votes will be counted on July 11.
A 2024 link
A 2024 link
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- Most of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal have panchayat-ruled rural and semi-rural areas, making the rural election results an indicator of voting patterns ahead of 2024.
Past record
- The change began in 2008
panchayat polls, when the Left’s vote share plunged to 52% from close to 90% earlier. It was followed by TMC winning 19 out of the 42 LS seats in 2009, and ending the 34-year Left rule in Bengal in 2011. - In 2013, TMC won 85 of the panchayat seats before winning 34 LS seats in 2014, and 211 of the 294 assembly seats in 2016.
- In 2018, TMC won 90% of all rural seats and all 22 zilla parishads but the 2019 Lok Sabha election reflected a change in voters’ preference, with BJP winning 18 and TMC 22 LS seats. But TMC came back strongly in 2021 state polls, winning 213 assembly seats. BJP got 77.
A violent tale
- Bengal often sees violence during elections. In the 2018 panchayat polls, 23 died on the polling day and the preceding night.
- In the 2019 LS polls, A Union home ministry report cited 693 incidents and 11 deaths.
- After the 2021 state polls, large-scale violence erupted with BJP accusing TMC of targeting its supporters. At least 16 died.
BJP, Congress together
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- The state units of Congress and BJP have moved the Calcutta High Court seeking deployment of central forces during the filing of nominations, saying seven days are not enough for 70,000 seats.
