Clashes mar Bengal poll nominations

In a repeat of the violence earlier this month, clashes marred the last day of filing of nomination papers for the panchayat polls in West Bengal on Monday, with the opposition blaming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for unleashing terror.

Supporters of the TMC and other political parties clashed in different parts of the state with crude bombs and firearms.

Following the clashes, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the CPI(M) decided to move Calcutta high court once again to bring to its notice the widespread violence. Following the violence, the BJP state unit chief Dilip Ghosh warned that the party would be forced to demand President’s rule in West Bengal. “The situation in Bengal is fast approaching a state where we will be forced to demand imposition of President’s rule in the state,” Ghosh said.

He also claimed five of their party’s supporters have died so far this month while trying to file nominations.

Around midday, the body of an unidentified person was found in Suri of Birbhum district during clashes between TMC and BJP supporters. TMC leader and minister Firhad Hakim claimed that the person was their supporter.

A few thatched houses went up in flames after crude bombs were thrown at them. Men carrying firearms and crude bombs roamed around the area freely and used them to attack rival supporters. Ironically, Monday’s violence took place despite state election commissioner AK Singh writing to the director general of police (DGP) on Sunday where he pointed out Rampurhat, Nalhati I and II of Birbhum district, Bishnupur in Bankura district, East Burdwan, Raghunathganj, Kandi, Raninagar in Murshidabad district, Haringhata in Nadia district, Haldia in East Midnapore and Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district as sensitive areas.

Following a Calcutta high court order, the poll panel chief had announced on Saturday that nomination can be filed on Monday between 11 am and 3 pm.

But the violence has prompted the opposition to knock on the court’s doors once again.

CPI(M) state secretariat member Rabin Deb also said they would be moving the court again.

The run-up to rural polls in Bengal has been violent, with half a dozen deaths between April 2 and 9, the days of nomination according to the original schedule.

KOLKATA/MIDNAPORE: