The death toll in violence in Murshidabad district during the last phase of Panchayat elections on Sunday rose to 19 on Monday with 231 people admitted to different hospitals, as fresh armed clash between the CPI-M and Congress claimed one more life in the district.
The police fished out the body of a Communist Party of India-Marxist worker, missing since May 14, from the Battuli river, near Sagar island, in South 24-parganas district during the day.
Murshidabad district alone accounted for 18 deaths, mostly in clashes and bomb attacks between Congress and CPI-M supporters on Sunday, with Chief Medical Officer (Health) M G Mondal confirming 11 deaths at Domkol, two each in Raninagar, Lalgola and Kandi and one at Sagardighi.
District Magistrate Subir Bhadra said one CPI-M activist was killed and another injured in an armed clash with Congress workers at Rezinagar, 40 km off Berhampore, on Monday morning.
Six persons were injured in the clash, he said.
Inspector General of Police (south Bengal) S K Purkayastha was camping at Domkol, where fresh violence was reported on Monday. A large posse of policemen were patrolling Domkol streets as tension still prevailed there.
Meanwhile, the police recovered body of a CPI-M worker, missing since May 14, the day of the second phase of Panchayat polls in the South Bengal, from Battuli river at Rudranagar near Sagar island, on Monday.
The police reported a fresh clash between CPI-M and Congress workers at Hariharpara in Murshidabad district on Monday, resulting in injury to persons.
The District Magistrate said security was being beefed up for re-poll on Tuesday at 40 booths in Murshidabad district, Domkol alone accounting for 23 booths.
The CMO (H) at Berhampore said that 231 people were undergoing treatment at different hospitals at Berhampore, Kandi, Jangipur and Domkol.
A Diamond Harbour report quoting the police said that Left Front partner Revolutionary Socialist Party boycotted the re-poll held in four of 14 polling booths at Basanti in South 24-parganas district on Monday.
The RSP earlier decided to boycott the re-poll in protest against CPI-M's alleged terror that claimed five lives, including the state's irrigation minister Subhas Naskar's relative Gauri Naskar, in a bomb blast at Basanti and other areas in the second phase of Panchayat poll on May 14.
Police said the re-poll passed off peacefully in the area amidst strict security. Three state ministers -- Kanti Ganguly (Sunderban development, Abdur Rezzak Molla (Land Reforms) and Subhas Naskar (Irrigation) -- were camping in the area.
A Bolpur report said that CPI-M and Congress workers on Monday clashed with bombs at Nanoor, scene of Sunday's violence during Panchayat polls.
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