Kolkata, 08 July (Hindustan Times). Seven people were killed within an hour of the commencement of polling for the panchayat elections in West Bengal at 07 am on Saturday. Among those who lost their lives are five workers of the ruling Trinamool Congress and one each of the BJP and the CPI(M). Although the Election Commission has confirmed the death of three people. All three were Trinamool Congress workers. Apart from this, many people were injured in the violence at various places across the state. These include workers of Trinamool Congress, BJP, Congress, Indian Secular Front (ISF) and other parties.
According to local sources, a CPI(M) worker was shot dead at village Aaus in East Burdwan district, while a Trinamool worker was shot dead at Chopra in Nadia. Tension had started since morning at Kapasdanga Shastitala under Beldanga police station in Murshidabad district. A violent clash between Congress and Trinamool workers followed firing in which a 40-year-old Trinamool worker named Babar Ali was killed. Another Trinamool worker named Phoolchand Sheikh is seriously injured. Trinamool Congress worker Yasin Sheikh has also been killed in Nazirpur area of Rejinagar police station area. Local sources claim that these attacks were carried out with bombs.
The body of Sarifudin Shaikh was recovered from an empty land at Khadgram in Murshidabad district. He is also a worker of the ruling party Trinamool Congress. It is alleged that the CPI (M) and Congress workers are involved in all these three murders.
Local sources said that as soon as the polling began on Saturday morning, violent clashes between CPI(M) and Trinamool workers also broke out in Rejinagar, in which at least 24 people were injured. Due to this polling remained closed for hours. Similarly, bombs were hurled inside a polling booth in Phalamari Gram Panchayat area of Coochbehar South assembly constituency. In this, a BJP polling agent named Madhav Vishwas died. Many people are seriously injured. BJP candidates have also been injured. He has been admitted to the hospital.
In Malda’s Manikchak Gopalpur Gram Panchayat area, a Trinamool worker died on the spot after being shot. Congress workers have been accused of murder. Eight more people were injured in the incident of collision. Violent clash between ISF and Trinamool workers at polling station number 264 in Bhangar left two ISF workers seriously injured in bullet injuries. Both have been admitted to the hospital. In Murshidabad’s Beldanga also, a Congress worker was injured after being shot. Apart from this, reports of violence are coming from all over the state. Locals said that the central forces which have been deployed are nowhere to be seen.
