There was no let-up in blood-letting in Bengal. Political clashes claimed three lives in Nadia, Malda and Birbhum and many houses were vandalised in Birbhum and Murshidabad, a day ahead of the fifth and final phase of the panchayat elections.
A CPI(M) worker was killed in Nadia while a rebel Trinamool supporters was shot dead in Birbhum, district police said. A third person, a left supporter, was killed by alleged Trinamool miscreants in Malda, CPI(M) sources said, alleging thousands of their sympathisers had been rendered homeless in the continuing poll related violence in the State.
Fifth and the final phase of the rural elections would take place on Thursday in remaining four North Bengal districts of North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar. Barring Coochbehar the ruling Trinamool Congress has lesser presence in the said districts and the party could go all out to establish its sway in these areas which could lead to more violence in the final phase, SEC sources said adding the Commission had requisitioned 35 companies of central forces for the final phase. Earlier, only two companies had been earmarked for the final phase.
Meanwhile, the Bengal BJP on Wednesday, submitted a memorandum to Governor MK Narayanan demanding removal of the top officials including Chief and Home Secretaries, SPs of Birbhum, Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas “for not conducting their duties properly” despite repeated reminders from the State Commission on deployment of the central forces.
The BJP also demanded Rs 10 lakh in compensation for those who died and a maximum of Rs 2 lakh to those who were injured in the political clashes after the elections were declared in the State. The party claimed 66 people had died in the State in the poll related violence and submitted a list of the deceased to the Governor.