Watch: A ballot box was retrieved from a pond in Sonadangi in West Bengal during panchayat polls
The elections have been marked by widespread violence in which at least 18 people have been killed.
Amidst the violence-ridden panchayat polls in West Bengal, a video from Sonadangi showed a ballot box reportedly being retrieved from a pond.
In the video (above), posted by ANI on Monday, a man can be seen pulling out the box from a pond as he’s surrounded by onlookers. The report did not provide further details of how the box ended up in the pond. However, the Financial Express reported that the box was thrown into the water body by Trinamool Congress workers.
Vandalising and looting of ballot boxes was reported from multiple districts in the state, as at least 18 people were killed in violent clashes. The violence, which included incidents of booth capturing and voter intimidation, broke out despite heavy security. Around 1,500 security personnel from Assam, Odisha, Sikkim and Andhra Pradesh were in the state for the voting in addition to the nearly 58,000 state police personnel.