One Killed In Clashes In Murshidabad During Polls

Murshidabad: On Thursday, a Communist Party of India-Marxist CPI(M) activist was killed after being attacked by crude bombs in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, police said.

The incident occurred in Domkal, one of the 62 seats in which polling for the third phase of Bengal assembly election spread over four districts is underway. “Tahidul Islam (30), said to be a polling agent has been killed. Prima facie it appears crude bombs were thrown at him. We are verifying all the facts,” said a police officer.

CPI(M) leader Anisur Rahman accused Trinamool Congress for the killing but the ruling party has denied the charges. “Apprehensive of defeat Trinamool has been indulging in terror tactics and Islam’s death is a result of that. He was trying to prevent Trinamool goons from booth capturing so they killed him,” said Rehman, contesting from Domkal.

However, Trinamool’s Domkal nominee Soumik Hossain denied the charges and claimed the death was a result of a clash between the CPI-M and the Congress.

The ear of CPM worker Lal Chowdhury was sliced off following a quarrel between the workers of CPM and the ruling Trinamool Congress during voting in Burdwan's Ketugram Assembly seat. He was also injured — eyewitnesses said his leg was fractured.

Polling will be held in 62 constituencies in four districts of West Bengal in the third phase of Assembly elections. Voters will exercise their franchise in all 22 constituencies in Murshidabad, 17 in Nadia, seven in Kolkata and 16 in rural Bardhaman. Nearly 1.37 crore voters across 16,461 polling stations will decide the fate of 418 candidates. Of them, 61 are crorepatis, 80 have criminal cases against them and 65 of them are facing serious cases related to murder and rape.