Poll panel orders strict action after 3 killed in Bengal post-poll violence
This story was originally published at 14:46 IST on 6 May 2026
Register to read our real-time news.Informist, Wednesday, May 6, 2026
NEW DELHI – Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Wednesday ordered strict action against those indulging in post-poll violence and vandalism in West Bengal. He directed the police to "immediately arrest" the perpetrators. Kumar's direction came after reports of at least three deaths and widespread vandalism from across the state.
"Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has spoken with West Bengal chief secretary, Kolkata police commissioner, director generals of Central Armed Police Forces, all the district magistrates and district police chiefs, and asked them to patrol the streets," an Election Commission official said.
The Election Commission of India had deployed around 250,000 personnel of central paramilitary forces to keep West Bengal election "fear free and violence free". Even as no major untoward incident occurred during the two phases of polling on Apr. 23 and Apr. 29, violence broke out Monday afternoon as vote counting trends hinted at a big victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Incidents of violence against All India Trinamool Congress supporters and vandalism at party offices were reported from several parts of West Bengal. According to media reports, the Trinamool Congress offices were ransacked or torched in Kolkata, Baruipur, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Howrah, Baharampur, Cooch Behar, and Asansol.
At least three persons, including both BJP and Trinamool Congress supporters, were killed in alleged incidents of post-poll violence on Tuesday, according to media reports. Outgoing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a press conference on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the violence against her party cadre and told the BJP activists to "fear the day when you are not in power at the Centre".
A new chief minister from the BJP may take oath on Saturday. End
Reported by Asim Khan
Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury
For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.
Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.
Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000
Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com
© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.
To read more please subscribe
Share this Story:
