'Poll agent' killed in Murshidabad; turnout tumbles

Murshidabad/Burdwan/Nadia: The elections in Bengal claimed its first victim on Thursday when a CPM 'election agent' was stabbed to death by alleged Trinamool Congress activists in Murshidabad, during the fourth round of polling on Thursday .Violence was also reported from Ketugram in Burdwan and Chakdaha in Nadia.

The spurt in violence in this phase involving districts where CPM and Congress have a strong base is an ominous sign for the next rounds when polling moves into Trinamool territory . Howrah and North 24-Parganas go to poll on April 25.

Significantly , each of the three districts that voted on Thursday showed a dip in turnout, with Burdwan registering the sharpest drop of about 11% (see chart). Even the standard last-hour surge of 3-4% is unlikely to bring the turnouts on a par with that of 2011.

Domkal in Murshidabad, that has a chequered history of poll violence, turned bloody yet again on Thursday when the body of a villager with multiple wounds was found near a polling booth. Locals claimed the victim, Tahidul Islam of Siropara village, was a CPM poll agent and had been dragged out of booth no. 175 soon after polls began at 7 am.

"We were beaten up inside the booths and pushed out. Is lam was taken away by force.The policemen on duty said they couldn't do anything. A sickle was stuffed into his mouth and then pulled out, slashing his right cheek. Even as Islam lay bleeding, he was stabbed repeatedly ," said Ghulam Murtaza, a polling agent from a nearby booth.

In his report to the EC, district police super C Sudhakar claimed Islam's body bore multiple stab injuries but did not identify him as polling agent. He said no witness had stepped forward to give a statement to the police on the murder. Trinamool candidate from Domkal, Soumik Hossain, claimed the death was a result of CPM-Congress clashes, while chief minister Mamata Banerjee said it was an attempt by the opposition to frame her party . Villagers said violence had begun on Wednesday evening when bombs were lobbed at houses of CPM workers. Splinters and unexploded bombs were found in the area on Thursday morning. The villagers informed the authorities, but no steps were taken.

Unlike the rest of the state where Congress and CPM are in alliance, the two parties are contesting against each other in Domkal with Trinamool hoping to cash in on the vote division. Concerned about the fallout on the alliance with three rounds of polls still to go, Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury rushed to Domkal on Thursday, cancelling his campaigns for the day .

Domkal is a CPM bastion with Anisur Rehman winning it for the last five terms. CPM has retained the seat ever since 1977. Trinamool Congress decided to field Soumik from the seat after he and his father, former Murshidabad MP Mannan Hossain, switched sides from Congress in 2014.

In neighbouring Burdwan, Ketugram witnessed gory violence as alleged Trinamool activists cut off the ear of a CPM cadre, Lal Choudhury , in booth 78 and thrashed him mercilessly. His legs were fractured and he is in hospital. In Hatmore village of Ketugram, at least 40 crude bombs were hurled and bullets fired near booths to intimidate voters.CPM supporters Sentu Choudhury and Lala Seikh suffered splinter injuries.

In Nadia, complaints of intimidation poured in from Gayeshpur, where bombs were hurled. Jadavpur University engineering student Saptarshi Chatterjee had to be escorted to the booth and back by central jawans after being assaulted by alleged Trinamool goons when he stepped out of home to vote for the first time.

(With inputs from Jayanta Gupta, Sukumar Mahato, Debajyoti Chakraborty & Ashis Poddar)