Bengal Governor leaves for Delhi, might report to Amit Shah on panchayat polls

Kolkata, July 9 A day after the violence-marred panchayat polls, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose left for New Delhi on Sunday evening.

Although the Governor himself had not specified the purpose of his visit to the national capital, Raj Bhavan sources said that he might meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and submit a detailed report on the incidents of clashes, and violence in the panchayat polls in the state on Saturday.

Incidentally, Ananda Bose had maintained media silence after the conclusion of the polls on Saturday evening although before that he had been extremely vocal on this issue of violence. State Election Commissioner Rajiva Sinha especially came under scathing attack from the Governor on this count.

However, after the elections were over on Saturday, leaving over 30 people dead, just a one-line statement came from the Governor. “I will do whatever I should do as the Governor of the state,” he said.

Raj Bhavan sources that the Governor has himself prepared a report based on his on- ground experience during his tours to the different districts of the state during the last few days. “

In all probability he will submit that report to the Union Home Minister in a sealed envelope and for that purpose only, he is flying to the national capital just a day after the rural civic body polls,” a source said.

On Saturday morning, while the Governor was touring the trouble-ridden Murshidabad district, he condemned the incidents of violence and told media persons that whatever is happening is a blot for the democratic set up. “Since the morning, several reports of clashes and violence have reached me. There had been a gun-battle. There had been a bloodbath. I will come back to you with more updates at a later stage. Whatever is happening is a blot for the democratic setup, where common people are unable to exercise their democratic rights to vote without fear. Still I give a call to the people to come out and exercise their rights,” he said.

Meanwhile, the office of the Eastern Command of the Border Security Force (BSF), whose Inspector General S.C. Budakoti was the central nodal officer for the West Bengal panchayat polls, will also send a report to the Union Home Ministry, detailing the alleged non-cooperation faced from the State Election Commission leading to ineffective utilisation of available central armed forces during polling on Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon, Budakoti wrote a letter to Sinha holding the SEC entirely responsible for extreme non-cooperation in the area of central forces deployment which, according to him, is a clear violation of the Calcutta High Court order on this count.

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