Political pundits predict more violence in Bengal before Assembly elections

Speaking to ETV Bharat about incidents of political violence in West Bengal, political analyst Suresh Bafna said that there is a worrisome situation in the poll-bound state and all the political bodies must contemplate this issue.

New Delhi: In the wake of the Union Home Ministry submitting a report to the Election Commission revealing that 693 incidents of violence and 11 deaths were reported during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, political analysts have opined that there is a worrisome situation in the poll-bound state and all the political bodies must contemplate this issue.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Suresh Bafna, political analyst, said, "The political violence in West Bengal is definitely worrisome and it should be the concern of each and every participant for the upcoming assembly elections. But, I think they are not serious about addressing these problems. We apprehend that there will be more violence in the future."

According to MHA sources, the report states that last year, 663 incidents of political violence were recorded in which 57 people were killed in the state.

"This year, in between January 1-7, a total of 23 incidents of political violence took place, two political workers died and 43 of them got injured," added MHA sources.

According to a study jointly conducted by the West Bengal Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 37 percent of the sitting MLAs in West Bengal - 104 out of the 282 - have criminal cases against them while 90 (32 percent) have declared having serious criminal cases registered against them.

Speaking on the aforementioned ADR report, Suresh Bafna opined that most of the sitting MLAs are likely to contest again in the West Bengal Assembly Elections. "They (politicians with a criminal background) shift their loyalty towards the ruling party. Earlier, they were with Left, now they have shifted their loyalty towards TMC. So, I think this is a serious problem in state politics."

"The political parties in West Bengal must think together on this but unfortunately they don't think together, they think against each other," he added.