Blood and Ballots: Political Violence in West Bengal

By Harshita Rathore

March 15, 2025

Ajaharuddin, a primary school teacher, witnessed his family's life take a devastating turn when his brother was allegedly attacked by workers affiliated with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, just a day before the 2023 Panchayat elections in West Bengal. The incident revealed the perilous state of democracy in their village.

For 15 long years, Bishnupur village, where Ajaharuddin resides, had not seen a free and fair election. Voting was effectively suppressed, with fear and intimidation reigning supreme. Determined to reclaim their democratic rights, Ajaharuddin and his brother joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPIM, to challenge the TMC’s stronghold. 

However, what started as a peaceful campaign for the right to vote quickly escalated into a grim and dangerous struggle, leaving the family to grapple with tragic consequences.

West Bengal has a long and turbulent history of political violence, particularly during election periods. This violence is not limited to polling days but often begins well before the elections and continues long after, as political rivalries turn into bloody confrontations.

Over decades, hundreds of lives have been lost in the ruthless quest for political dominance, with grassroots activists, party workers and even innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

Panchayat elections, in particular, are notorious for their brutality in West Bengal, where these elections are fiercely contested along party lines, as they determine political control at the village level – a crucial stepping stone for influencing larger state politics. Unlike many other states, Panchayat candidates in West Bengal are almost always affiliated with major political parties, making these local elections not merely administrative but deeply political – and often deadly.

For years, major political parties in the state – the Indian National Congress, the CPIM and the TMC – have been accused of engaging in widespread electoral malpractice. Allegations of vote-rigging, ballot tampering, intimidation and violent attacks on political opponents have tarnished the democratic process. In some cases, even ordinary citizens attempting to cast their votes have faced threats and harassment, or worse.

The statistics paint a grim picture. According to the 2021 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, West Bengal recorded the highest number of politically motivated murders in India.

These killings are often purely political in nature, though some are personal vendettas thinly veiled as political violence. This toxic environment has created a culture of fear, where political survival often comes at the cost of human lives.

What perpetuates this cycle of violence? Why has a fundamental democratic right – the right to vote – become a life-threatening act in some parts of West Bengal? And how did a simple fight for electoral freedom turn into a harrowing battle for survival for Ajaharuddin and his family?

Through this documentary, we unravel the deep-seated culture of political violence in West Bengal. From its historical roots to its contemporary manifestations, we explore the factors that continue to fuel this deadly cycle and the human cost of political ambition.