10 killed, 50 hurt in Bengal panchayat poll violence

KOLKATA: At least 10 people were killed and more than 50 injured on Monday in violence during the West Bengal panchayat polls, where around 73 per cent of the electorate had cast their votes at the end of balloting hours at 5 pm.

The State Election Commission said the polling percentage was 73 at the end of voting hours, though the numbers would go up since 4.5 lakh voters were still queued up across the state.

“We have, so far, received telephonic complaints of six deaths. We are awaiting written confirmation from authorities on the death toll,” State Election Commission Secretary Nilanjan Shandilya said.

A youth was beaten to death as he tried to enter a polling premises in Nadia district while a Trinamool Congress activist was shot dead in South 24 Parganas district’s Kultali, police said. The Communist Party of India-marxist (CPM) claimed one of their activists was killed in bomb attacks in North 24 Parganas district’s Amdanga.

Three deaths were reported from Murshidabad while two were killed in East Midnapore’s Nandigram. Two persons lost their lives in Nadia and North Dinajpur districts.

“Three youths were beaten up by locals in Nadia district’s Shantipur area on Monday morning. Police rescued and got them admitted to a local hospital. One of them, Sanjit Pramanik, succumbed to his injuries,” Nadia district Superintendent of Police Santosh Pandey said.

“Trinamool Congress worker Arif Ali Gazi was shot in the chest while coming out of a polling booth. He died in a hospital,” an officer from Kultali police station said.

Though CPM’S North 24 Parganas leaders claimed their party activist died in Amdanga after he was attacked with crude bombs, there was no police confirmation.