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14 dead in Murshidabad panchayat poll violence

Special Correspondent

KOLKATA: The death toll in the violence during West Bengal panchayat polls in seven districts of the State on Sunday rose to 14 even as fresh trouble erupted in some parts of Murshidabad and Malda districts on Monday.

Nine people had died and several others injured in disturbances during the elections in Murshidabad when Congress supporters clashed with CPI(M) supporters. Five others died in the violence there as well as in Birbhum and Malda districts.

There were reports of clashes in the morning from the Domkol area of Murshidabad district. Local Congress leaders claimed that a worker of the party was killed in the violence.

Trouble also broke out in the Rathua area of Malda district, involving supporters of the two parties, injuring 12 people.

Biman Bose, Secretary of the CPI(M)’s State Committee, alleged that the attacks on his party’s workers on Sunday were carried out jointly by activists of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the BJP “in a pre-planned manner.”

“The Congress and this unholy combine were responsible for the unfortunate incidents,” he added in a statement issued here.

Such a concerted move to disrupt the election process has not been witnessed in elections in recent times, Mr. Bose said.

Refuting the charges, leader of the Congress Legislature Party Manas Bhunia held the CPI(M) responsible for the violence in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts.

“Mr. Bose had earlier warned of a bloody election and this proved true with his party’s cadres resorting to attacks on Congress workers.”

Among the victims in Sunday’s violence, nine persons belonged to the CPI(M) while three were not affiliated to any political party.

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