West Bengal has had a history of political violence during elections. Critics often argue that the ruling party, as well as opposition parties, engage in violence to intimidate voters and suppress opposition voices. Such incidents undermine the democratic process and create an atmosphere of fear. The ongoing Gram Panchayat Elections in the state are nonetheless the same.

The ruling Trinamool Congress was set to sweep a massive victory in the rural polls since the overnight counting of the ballots gave it an undeniable lead in the results, as stated by the State Election Commission. However, violence followed in the aftermath and a reign of terror was inevitable.

The counting was interfered by stray incidents like bombings being hurled in areas of Bhangar. There were also instances of firing by central forces and state police on Tuesday night on unruly mobs, resulting in the injuries of ISF supporters and policemen. Kapasdanga area on 8th of July saw tires being burned on public streets and enaged shopkeepers coming down to the streets. Several TMC workers were killed, one of them was Babar Ali in Murshidabad district. West Bengal Governor, Ananda Bose said "Elections must be through Ballots, not Bullets!"

Atleast three from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and one from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been killed in the ongoing clashes during voting. Polling booths were vandalised and ballot papers were set on fire in Cooch Behar. Is this the democracy we are living in? 

Democracy is burning in the state of West Bengal. People are out in the streets, mourning, yelling, fighting. Seven people have been killed in this violence so far. The ruling party suffered 60% of the losses. Re-polling was ordered by the SEC in 696 seats on Monday as a result of the vote tampering, violence and malpractices. Intervention by the Calcutta High Court had seen the deployment of central police forces on both election and counting days.

Derogatory tactics like voter coercion, booth capturing, and influencing voters through various means undermines the fairness and transparency of the elections. Allegations of irregularities and malpractices, such as booth capturing, rigging, and tampering with electronic voting machines, have been raised in past elections, and even now nothing seems to have changed. These allegations cast doubt on the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.

Mixed opinions has surfaced the scenario. A section is blaming TMC goons for worsening the chaos. On the other hand some are pointing fingers at CM of West Bengal Mamta Banerjee for mishandling the entire situation. Critics often claim that the ruling party enjoys an unfair advantage over opposition parties, including control over local administrative machinery, police, and other resources. This perceived imbalance can compromise the electoral process and undermine the principles of democracy.