Kolkata (PTI): Eight persons -- five CPI(M) supporters and three of the Congress -- were killed and 25 others injured in Murshidabad district as party supporters fought each other with guns and bombs during the third and final phase of the panchayat elections in West Bengal on Sunday.

Murshidabad district Magistrate Subir Bhadra confirmed the death of four in violence at Kuchiamora, Panchananpur, Raninagar and Jalangi. Of them, two belonged to the CPI(M) and two to the Congress.

The District Chief Medical Officer Health Mangobindo Mondal said that a Congress supporter died of injuries in hospital at Lalgola and two CPI(M) supporters at Sadiya.

He said, altogether 25 people were admitted to hospitals with either gunshot or bomb splinter injuries.

District Superintendent of Police Basab Dasgupta said one CPI(M) supporter was killed at Ghoramara.

In Mayureshwar and Babuichar areas, the CPI(M) and Congress supporters clashed over allegations of rigging, the police said.

In Malda district, the police fired three rounds in air to disperse CPI(M) and Congress supporters who clashed after marxist cadre tried to forcibly enter a booth at Palashbon.

Bombs were also hurled by the Congress and CPI(M) at two polling booths in Batna area in the district, the police said.

A report from Jalpaiguri district said that the roofs of a number of polling booths were blown away during a storm halting polling.

During the second phase of the grassroot polls on May 14, five persons were killed in fierce clashes between the Left Front partners, CPI(M) and RSP.

A report from Birbhum district quoting the police said that a Trinamool Congress candidate Rina Das was injured in firing allegedly by CPI(M) cadre at Satin booth in Labhpur area after she protested attempts at booth capturing.

Home Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty said that one person was killed at Nanoor in Birbhum district last night in poll eve violence and another who was injured at Kaliachak in Malda district died this morning.

IG (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia said that over 100 people were arrested in connection with poll violence.

The administration, the Home Secretary said, was concerned at the violence in Murshidabad district, where personnel of the BSF and the State Armed Police were staging route marches in affected areas.

Murshidabad, which borders Bangladesh, is a Congress stronghold, with the party sweeping the last Lok Sabha elections in the district winning all the three seats, including Jangipur which elected External Affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The districts where polling was held were Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Murshidhad and Birbhum.