The body of a BJP worker, Bankim Hansda, was recovered near his village in Purulia on Monday morning, five days ahead of the July 8 panchayat polls.

The death of Hansda, 45, has pushed the number of political workers who died since the announcement of rural polls to 15. The BJP called it murder and blamed Trinamul.

Hansda was the BJP’s general secretary of booth 202 of Hesla in Manbazar-II block. Local sources said he left home on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, his body was found near a waterbody. The local Boro police sent the body for an autopsy.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari sought a CBI probe into Hansda’s death. He said the death was another proof that Trinamul had established “jungle raj” in Bengal.

“Shri Bankim Hansda, a member of the ST community, who happened to be a Booth level General Secretary of the BJP in Manbazar-II Block of the Purulia district, went missing when he stepped out of his home, to campaign for the upcoming Panchayat Elections. His body has been found now, and it’s clear as the daylight that he had been murdered by the TMC goons. Unfortunately Mamata Police is reluctant to find the truth as it would indict the ruling party leaders,” Adhikari tweeted.

District Trinamul leaders denied the charge.

“The BJP’s allegation is false. The party is trying to get political mileage by using the death of a poor villager... Let the police find out the truth,” said Soumen Belthoria, the Purulia district Trinamul president.