| Points: | 5 |
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Why the violence during every election?
The Panchayat elections in West Bengal have been concluded recently. The results are out but one thing that is quite surprising is the unabated political violence even after the conclusion of the polls. Reports indicate that around fifty people, yes you heard it right fifty people have lost their lives in poll-related violence since the filing of the nomination till now. Violence during elections is not new in West Bengal and I am sure many of you must have heard about political violence in the state during any election. Barring a few states like UP or Bihar I am sure the other states do not report any poll-related violence.Why does this happen and what may be the way to come out of it? We have seen violence during polls in the left regime before 2011 and it didn't stop after the change in the government. Many workers who used to indulge in violence in the earlier regime may have switched sides but the common men who stand in the queue to vote are the main sufferer. Central forces are deployed in almost all the elections in this state but the violence continues. It is not that the political workers of the opposition only lose their lives in violence, workers of the ruling party also lose their lives in violence. The blame game goes on year after year and the authorities promise some action but the situation doesn't change. When will there be some respite from electoral violence and when we will see some concrete steps? Are we so stubborn and unwilling to change our attitude? I wonder!
