Polling Underway in 8 LS Seats in Bengal, Ex-Trinamool Worker Found Dead

A former Trinamool Congress worker was found dead in West Bengal's East Burdwan district on Monday as polling began for the eight Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in the fourth phase.

The polling started at 7 a.m. The body of the former Trinamool Congress worker, identified as Mintu Sheikh was recovered from Ketugram in the district. Sheikh quit the party three months ago. His family claimed that he was attacked by some unknown miscreants while returning home late Sunday night and was killed.

On one hand, the Trinamool Congress legislator from Ketugram Sheikh Shahnawaz claimed that the local CPI(M) activists were behind the murder. “He was an active worker of our party. He was killed late Sunday night as he was coming back. The goons having the backing of CPI(M) are behind the murder,” he said.

However, CPI(M)'s East Burdwan district committee member Tamal Majhi claimed that infighting in the ruling party in the area had led to the murder. The family members of the deceased claimed that it was unlikely that any opposition party was involved in the murder as they did not have any effective presence in Ketugram.

Apart from this incident, stray incidences of poll-related tension have already started surfacing from different pockets in the state.

The BJP complained that a temporary party camp at Suri in Birbhum district was demolished by the ruling Trinamool Congress activists before the beginning of the polls. The ruling party leadership has, however, denied the allegations.

Reports of tension have also been reported from Naskashipara in Nadia district, as bombs were hurled at the residence of a local BJP leader Hazrat Mondal. Reports of clashes between Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) activists have also been reported from the Kaliganj area under Krishnanagar Lok Sabha constituency in Nadia district.

The eight constituencies in the state going to polls are Baharampur in Murshidabad district, Birbhum and Bolpur in Birbhum district, Krishnanagar and Ranaghat in Nadia district, Bardhaman-Purba in East Burdwan district and Bardhaman-Durgapur and Asansol in West Burdwan district.