Bengal panchayat polls: Congress worker killed in Murshidabad, 3 BJP supporters shot at in Cooch Behar

In another incident, four BJP workers were injured after being shot at allegedly by TMC workers at Bamanhat-2 panchayat of Cooch Behar district’s Dinhata sub-division on Thursday night.

The deceased in the Murshidabad incident, Arvindo Mondal (45), was the elder brother of Hriday Mondal, a Congress candidate from booth number 28 of the Herampur panchayat.

Arvindo was attacked by some people when he was sitting in front of his house hours after a clash took place between Congress and Trinamool workers in Raninagar block’s Raipur area on Thursday night, locals said. He was rushed to a hospital in Domkal from where he was referred to Murshidabad Medical College where doctors declared him dead.

Two persons were injured in the night clash.

A relative of Arvindo Mondal said, “It was Trinamool candidate Chinmoy Mandal who carried out the attack.”

Rejecting the allegations, Chinmoy Mandal said, “He is likely to have died of a heart attack. He was shouting too much. The allegation of attack is completely false. Nobody hit him.”

Arvindo’s family said that he had a pacemaker implanted in his chest.

Five persons have died in Murshidabad district of at least 18 people killed in the state since the nomination process started on June 9.

In the Cooch Behar incident, two more persons were injured besides the four BJP workers who were shot at, it was claimed.

Locals said around 10 pm, BJP workers and supporters were sitting outside the house of a party candidate after campaigning when some bike-borne men opened fire at them.

Those who were shot were identified as Milan Burman, Chandra Burman, and Arjun Burman. Later, one of the attackers was caught by the locals and was beaten up, it is learnt.

The injured were taken to Bamanhat primary health centre from where two were referred to the Dinhata sub-divisional hospital and two to Cooch Behar.

The man who was nabbed by locals was handed over to police.

After receiving information about the incident, police and personnel of central forces reached the spot.

Reacting to the incident, BJP’s Dinhata mandal president Ajay Roy said, “Trinamool-backed miscreants attacked our party workers who were sitting in front of our candidate’s house after the campaign. Of the four injured, one is critical.”

TMC’s Dinhata-2 block president Deepak Bhattacharya said, “All these allegations are baseless as our party has no role in it.”

Also, TMC workers were accused of attacking Congress supporters in Okrabari panchayat of Dinhata-i block in the district on Thursday night.

Besides, a bomb was allegedly thrown at the house of a BJP worker in Pathachhara panchayat of Dangarhat area.

Shabana Yasmin, wife of Congress candidate Mukul Rahman from Okrabari panchayat, alleged that dinner was organised for party workers when the bomb was thrown at their house. Two Congress workers were injured and admitted to the Dinhata sub-divisional hospital.

In one more incident, TMC workers were also accused of hurling a bomb at the house of BJP candidate Manik Roy in Pathchhara panchayat of the district.

The police went to the spot on Friday morning and recovered several bombs from the area. A live bomb was found in front of the house of a BJP worker in Sahib Colony area of Guriahati-1 panchayat of the district with the party claiming that it was dropped by TMC supporters.

Parthapratim Roy, a TMC leader from the district, said, “The Opposition party is lying. Did anyone see the TMC men actually doing this? Bombs may have been recovered and the police will look into it.”

The campaigning for the July 8 panchayat polls ended on Thursday.

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