New Delhi: Large-scale violence is being reported from various parts of West Bengal where voting in the Panchayat election is underway. At least 12 people have been killed so far and several injured, according to news agency PTI.Polling booths have been vandalised and ballot papers are set on fire, as voters began queueing up outside polling stations to cast their votes from 7 am.Among those killed were six Trinamool Congress members and one worker each of the BJP, Left, Congress and ISF, and another person whose political identity could not be known, officials told PTI.There were reports of violence and killings from all across the State. Four deaths were reported in Murshidabad district, two from Cooch Behar and Purba Bardhaman districts and one each from Nadia, Uttar Dinajpur and South 24 Parganas districts. Two Trinamool Congress supporters also sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district. A BJP polling agent was killed in Cooch Behar.Among flashpoints were Murshidabad, Nadia and Cooch Behar districts besides pockets in South 24 Parganas such as Bhangar and in Purba Medinipur’s Nandigram.While the state election commission has sought the deployment of 822 companies of Central forces in the state, only 649 companies have been deployed. According to The Hindu, Central forces were not deployed outside many polling booths despite the orders of the Calcutta high court to that effect.Governor C.V. Ananda Bose visited different areas in North 24 Parganas district, and met with people injured in the violence, and interacted with voters. “It should cause concern to all of us. This is the most sacred day for democracy… Election must be through ballots and not bullets…,” said Bose, according to the Indian Express.File photo. West Bengal governor Ananda Bose meeting a victim of poll violence in Dinhata on July 2, 2023. Photo: Twitter/ @BengalGovernor“They told me about the goons not allowing them to go to the polling booths…It should cause concern to all of us,” he said, urging people to come out and exercise their franchise.He has also sought a report from state election commissioner, Rajiva Sinha, on the number and the position of the personnel from all the district magistrates in the wake of reports claiming the absence of Central forces outside polling booths.In the violence that rocked Rejinagar in Murshidabad, a Trinamool Congress supporter was killed. Another body was found at Khargram in the district. Two Trinamool Congress supporters sustained bomb injuries at Domkal in the district, the Hindu report said.One person was found dead at Sujapur in Malda district. Violence was reported at various places in Cooch Behar district where one person was allegedly killed in poll-related violence. A supporter of CPI(M) was killed at Ausgram in Purba Bardhaman district.Instances of rigging, snatching of ballot papers, and pouring water in the ballot boxes are being reported from various polling booths. At Dinhata in Cooch Behar, ballot boxes were set on fire at a polling station.It is being alleged that members of the opposition parties are being confined in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas. Voters who had queued up to cast their votes suffered bullet injuries at Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur.BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari blamed TMC for the violence. “This is not an election…It’s a ‘jungle raj…the freedom fighters in 1942 declared India free on this land and today this land is in turmoil because of Mamata Banerjee & her nephew with the connivance of West Bengal Police. Central government should take the decision…it’s my demand, if President’s rule is not there let Mamata Banerjee be the CM…we will remove her after contesting in elections but Article 355 should be implemented for the safety of the citizens…,” Indian Express quoted him as saying.The TMC, for its part, asked, “When violence strikes, it begs the question: where were the Central Forces?”When violence strikes, it begs the question: where were the Central Forces?In a tragic incident in Chapra, Nadia, one of our party workers was hacked to death by @INCWestBengal goons, and in the resulting confrontation, other party members were subjected to vicious assaults…— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 8, 2023Taking to Twitter, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammed Salim shared a video of open ballot boxes lying in the field and ballot papers in a puddle of water. He also wrote, “Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour.”Vote is over! Condition of the ballots, ballot boxes in one of the booths. Btw this pic is from Diamond Harbour. TMC did exactly what they practiced during ‘Bhepon Yatra’ under the patronage of @WBPolice pic.twitter.com/B2DYzbxyZx— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) July 8, 2023Voting began at 7 am in 73,887 seats in the rural areas of the state with 5.67 crore people picking between 2.06 lakh candidates for nearly 928 seats across 22 zilla parishads, 9,730 panchayat samitis, and 63,229 gram panchayats seats. Till 1 pm, 36.66% voter turnout was recorded.This is a developing story. It will be updated as and when new information trickles in.