3 Cong workers killed on phase-IV eve

Speaking to a TV news channel,Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shrugged off the allegations that Trinamool cadres were behind the killing of the Congress workers. Accusing the CPM of instigating the violence,she said the deaths were result of clashes between the Congress and the Marxists.

Earlier in the day,in a statement posted on Trinamool website,the Chief Minister said in the fourth and fifth phases of the elections,where the Congress has a presence,the party will deliberately be up to mischief.

But Congress MP and Union minister from Murshidabad Adhir Chowdhury blamed the Trinamool for the violence. Trinamool is trying to create disturbances in tomorrows elections,which is the reason why they are issuing such statements. He alleged that the police did act to prevent such incidents despite the party giving them inputs about the violence beforehand. The miscreants,who were earlier with the CPM and have recently joined the TMC,are responsible for the violence, Chowdhury said.

In Nadia district,the police arrested a CPM candidate following a clash between two groups. Premananda Das was later released on bail,the police said,adding that one person was injured in the clash.

Reports of stray violence also came from Malda and Birbhum districts.

With Sundays deaths,a total of 10 persons have lost their lives in the poll violence since elections began on July 11.

Houses of RSP workers torched

Meanwhile,at Basanti in South 24-Parganas,where polling took place on July 19,over 70 houses belonging to RSP supporters were set on fire allegedly by TMC workers.

Violence in the same district also left a child injured. A body was found in Diamond Harbour,but it was not confirmed whether the murder was linked to any political clash. Express News Service

KOLKATA,July 21

ON the eve of the fourth phase of panchayat elections,widespread incidents of violence led to the death of three Congress workers on Sunday. The four districts of Nadia,Murshidabad,Malda and Birbhum,where polling will be held on Monday,are Congress strongholds,and the shadow of widescale violence looms large as over 80 per cent of booths in this phase are either marked as highly sensitive or sensitive.

Police said two Congress workers Nurmohhamad Sheikh and Ahad Ali were killed after being hit by crude bombs late Saturday night at Kapasdanga in Murshidabad district. TMC workers have been accused of leading the attacks. There were reports of skirmishes and clashes,including stone pelting,in the area in which two policemen were injured. Another Congress worker,Repon Sheikh,was killed at Bharatpur in the same district during a clash between rival party supporters,the police said.

Speaking to a TV news channel,Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shrugged off the allegations that Trinamool cadres were behind the killing of the Congress workers. Accusing the CPM of instigating the violence,she said the deaths were result of clashes between the Congress and the Marxists.

Earlier in the day,in a statement posted on Trinamool website,the Chief Minister said in the fourth and fifth phases of the elections,where the Congress has a presence,the party will deliberately be up to mischief.

But Congress MP and Union minister from Murshidabad Adhir Chowdhury blamed the Trinamool for the violence. Trinamool is trying to create disturbances in tomorrows elections,which is the reason why they are issuing such statements. He alleged that the police did act to prevent such incidents despite the party giving them inputs about the violence beforehand. The miscreants,who were earlier with the CPM and have recently joined the TMC,are responsible for the violence, Chowdhury said.

In Nadia district,the police arrested a CPM candidate following a clash between two groups. Premananda Das was later released on bail,the police said,adding that one person was injured in the clash.

Reports of stray violence also came from Malda and Birbhum districts.

With Sundays deaths,a total of 10 persons have lost their lives in the poll violence since elections began on July 11.

Houses of RSP workers torched

Meanwhile,at Basanti in South 24-Parganas,where polling took place on July 19,over 70 houses belonging to RSP supporters were set on fire allegedly by TMC workers.

Violence in the same district also left a child injured. A body was found in Diamond Harbour,but it was not confirmed whether the murder was linked to any political clash.

WITH PTI INPUTS FROM BEHRAMPORE