Local Trinamul leader Dhananjoy Choubey was gunned down by motorcycle-borne persons while he was seated at his party office at Adra in Purulia on Thursday night, with incidents of violence in the rural poll process, which erupted as soon as the nominations were announced, refusing to ebb.
Trinamul blamed the BJP for unleashing terror in the area in the run-up to the July 8 polls. Congress leader Nepal Mahato said the killing exposed the lawlessness in Bengal. Police started a probe.
On Wednesday evening, bombs were allegedly hurled at the residence of Pampa Das, the CPM candidate for Chandrakona block II Kunyapur gram panchayat in West Midnapore. Though no one was injured, Pampa's mother allegedly received a "note" warning her that the consequences of her daughter contesting the polls would be dangerous. Pampa blamed Trinamul for the threat and the attack.The local CPM leaders filed a police complaint against the bomb attack and threat to Pampa.
"Every area is transformed into a godown of bombs. The panchayat poll will turn into a farce if the police do not recover bombs and weapons," said CPM leader Susmit Pal.
The local Trinamul leadership denied the allegations. The district coordinator of the party, Ajit Maiti, said Opposition candidates would lose their deposits in the election and were making false accusations.
In Moyna, East Midnapore, bombs were allegedly hurled at BJP candidates and supporters and several houses ransacked and looted on Wednesday. When the police arrived, villagers gheraoed them seeking protection. The continuous bombing led to a pregnant woman falling ill, sources said.
"The BJP won the Moyna Assembly constituency in the 2021 elections. This is why the Trinamul is desperate here," said a local BJP leader.
On Thursday, BJP leader Shanku Deb Panda met the BDO of Bishnupur Block 1, which falls under the Diamond Harbour constituency, with a local BJP candidate who was allegedly attacked on Wednesday night. Panda said at least 40 FIRs had been lodged against Trinamul workers but the police were yet to respond. On Friday, BJP leaders will submit a memorandum at the office of the superintendent of police of Diamond Harbour.
A state BJP leader said the party was planning to make an issue out of the attack on party candidates. He said the BJP might move Calcutta High Court on Saturday seeking an investigation by a central agency into allegations that its candidates in several blocks in Diamond Harbour in South 24-Parganas are being intimidated and assaulted by the goons backed by Trinamul.
Diamond Harbour is represented by Trinamul's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Sources in the BJP said the party wanted to move the court as it wanted to prove that the law and order in Diamond Harbour had nosedived.
"Our candidates are being intimidated and attacked all across Diamond Harbour. They were threatened to withdraw their nominations. When they did not, they were threatened with murder," the BJP leader said.
"The police are mute spectators. This is why we are planning to move the court seeking an investigation by a central agency," the leader added.
Burwan candidates
Congress candidates in Burwan block in Murshidabad on Thursday submitted their B Forms for allotment of party symbols at the block office under police protection after Justice Amrita Sinha of Calcutta High Court ordered the state poll panel to ensure they could do so either under central security cover or protection from the district police.
On Tuesday, their B Forms were allegedly snatched and destroyed by suspected Trinamul activists at the block office, prompting a sit-in by state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in front of the venue.
