Four Dead in Post-Election Violence in India's West Bengal State
Al Jazeera Staff
At least four people have died in political clashes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP won a historic victory in West Bengal state. Police confirmed the violence erupted between rival party supporters in Kolkata and other districts after results were announced.
At least four people have died in political clashes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the election in West Bengal state, according to police and party officials.
Modi's BJP won a landslide victory in the crucial eastern state, home to some 100 million people, for the first time in history. Results released on Tuesday showed the BJP won 206 of the 294 seats in the legislative assembly.
West Bengal was previously led by Mamata Banerjee, a fierce critic of Prime Minister Modi, who had been chief minister since 2011. Banerjee, leader of the regional All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, also lost her seat in the election and rejected the results, accusing the federal government of electoral fraud.
Police said clashes between rival party supporters erupted in the capital Kolkata and other districts of West Bengal shortly after the results were announced. The BJP reported two of its party workers died, while the TMC also confirmed two of its workers were beaten to death.
“Two of our workers were killed after the election results were announced on Monday,” said Samik Bhattacharya, state BJP leader, told AFP, stressing that the party “supports peace.”
In a statement on social media, the TMC denounced the “brutal murder” of two party workers. “Our party offices have been attacked in several areas of the state,” said Narendranath Chakraborty, a TMC spokesperson, told AFP. “The two victims were grassroots political workers.”
A senior police officer, not authorized to speak to media, confirmed four dead in the clashes and added that an officer was shot in the leg. The TMC also said their offices were vandalized by individuals believed to be BJP workers.
Kolkata police said law and order situation broke out on Tuesday in Topsia and Tiljala areas, “where some miscreants damaged public property.”
After the election results were announced, Banerjee refused to step down as chief minister. Calling the BJP victory “an immoral victory,” Banerjee declared “over 100 seats were stolen by the BJP.”
Under India's constitution, the state governor could ask Banerjee to resign or wait until her term expires. Banerjee's term is set to end on Thursday. Afterward, the newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in and the process of forming a new government will begin.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI), which has rejected allegations of irregularities, directed top West Bengal officials to enforce a “zero tolerance policy” toward any post-election violence. Public broadcaster All India Radio reported: “ECI asked the state administration and security agencies to take all necessary measures to prevent any threats, reprisals, or clashes related to the election results.”
Analysts say the BJP's victory in the Bengali-speaking state is one of the most significant successes since Modi first became prime minister in 2014, expanding the party's influence beyond the Hindi-speaking regions of northern and central India.
