Two districts — Cooch Behar and Murshidabad — have emerged as the epicentres of violence during the 2023 panchayat elections.

The surge in the violence has been attributed to the resistance put up by Opposition parties in the two districts. In the 2018 rural polls, the Trinamul Congress could ensure a clean sweep in the two districts.

That the contest was tough for Trinamul in Cooch Behar was evident on Saturday evening when leaders filed an application before the district returning officer for re-polling at 31 booths. This is a rare move by the party in recent years.

Ever since the polls have been announced, political violence in the two districts claimed 15 lives.

At least 70 people suffered injuries, including bullet wounds, during the violent incidents.

“Today, five people died in Murshidabad and three others lost their lives in Cooch Behar. Among them were workers of different parties. The clashes occurred because there was resistance from the Opposition,” said a veteran politician based in Cooch Behar.

Over the past few years, the BJP emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the northern district, while the CPM and the Congress managed to revive their support base — especially after the Sagardighi bypoll — in Murshidabad.

In Cooch Behar, Trinamul is desperate to revive its support base ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls, particularly because it lost the seat to the BJP in 2019 and secured only two (of nine) Assembly segments in 2021.

Later, it managed to gain another Assembly seat as the party’s candidate Udayan Guha could win in Dinhata in a bypoll.

Guha, who is the north Bengal development minister now, had taken the task of consolidating the party’s base in the district, especially in Dinhata, the same subdivision where Nisith Pramanik, the local MP and junior Union home minister, resides.

During the past two years, there had been a number of clashes between Trinamul and the BJP. Even attacks on prominent leaders, including Pramanik, were reported.

As the voting began on Saturday, reports of attacks and counter-attacks came from different corners of both the districts. Voting was disrupted in a number of booths as ballot boxes were taken away and ballot papers were torn.

“Trinamul tried to intimidate people and perpetrated violence... we hope people will give them a befitting reply,” said Pramanik.

Later in the evening, Avijit De Bhowmik, the district Trinamul president of Cooch Behar, filed a complaint with the returning officer.

Trinamul leaders of Murshidabad, unlike Cooch Behar, are unperturbed.

“People are with us. The Left and the Congress might have given a try but people have rejected their unholy alliance. We will secure the zilla parishad again,” said Ashok Das, a vice-president of Trinamul in the district.

In Cooch Behar, Trinamul secured two of three Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and 20 of 22 Assembly seats in 2021.