The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the deployment of central forces for coming Sunday's Contai Cooperative Bank polls, a day after Trinamul-BJP clashes marred a similar Tamluk election.

Late on Sunday night, Trinamul Congress worker Bishnupada Mondal, 42, was killed by goons at Jalpai village in Nandigram, in the wake of the clashes in the Tamluk polls. Earlier in the day, 25 persons had been injured in the clashes.

Given the rising political temperature in East Midnapore district, the Supreme Court not only authorised the deployment of central forces but also ordered the election authorities to install CCTV cameras at all booths for the December 15 election at the Contai (Kanthi) cooperative bank, where 430 candidates are contesting for 108 seats.

The Contai election has become particularly sensitive following the killing of the Trinamul Congress worker just hours after a clash between Trinamool and BJP supporters at the Kanchannagar Bidya Bhavan High School in Nandigram block 1, East Midnapore district, during the Tamluk cooperative bank election on Sunday.

As part of the Tamluk cooperative bank election, the ruling Trinamul secured 56 out of 69 seats across 12 blocks.

Only in Nandigram block did the BJP win 13 out of the 14 seats.

On Sunday night, criminals suddenly attacked Trinamul booth president Gurupada Mondal and party worker Bishnupada Mondal with sharp weapons.

They fled as local people intervened, after which the duo were taken to the Tamluk District Hospital, where Bishnupada succumbed to injuries.

Gurupada, who suffered severe injuries from the sharp weapon stabs on multiple parts of his body, was admitted to the Nandigram Super Specialty Hospital.

“The BJP has lost all seats in the Tamluk Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Limited elections across all the blocks except one, Nandigram.... This incident is the work of BJP-backed criminals, and protests will be held across Nandigram in response,” TMC Nandigram block 1 president Bappaditya Garg said.

The murder of a Trinamool worker has stirred the East Midnapore district's administrative circles, especially as chief minister Mamata Banerjee is soon set to visit Digha for three days to oversee final preparations for the Jagannath temple's construction and possibly announce its inauguration date.

Sources in the district administration also revealed that the chief minister is likely to meet with the district magistrate to discuss the controversy surrounding the hotel demolitions in Mandarmani.

Reacting to Monday's Supreme Court order, the leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said: “They (the TMC) don’t allow people to vote.... Let the election happen under the supervision of the central forces. It will allow people to exercise their franchise.”

Adhikari, who happens to be the BJP MLA of Nandigram, had defeated Mamata by a wafer-thin margin in the 2021 Assembly elections.

Sources in the party said that the chief minister reportedly asked all her party's East Midnapore leaders to make a united effort to win the Contai Cooperative Bank election.

On Monday, at a meeting with the nine TMC legislators of East Midnapore district, the chief minister gave added responsibility to former minister Akhil Giri for the upcoming elections.

“This is a prestige battle for her and we will leave no stones unturned to win this election,” a senior TMC leader said.

On Adhikari’s rigging charge, Contai MLA Uttam Barik said: “He (Suvendu Adhikari) had been the chairman of this cooperative bank for a long time. How did he win if the poll was rigged?”