Kolkata: Four people were killed, including one in firing by central security forces, in round three of the five-phase West Bengal panchayat elections yesterday.
The turnout ranged from 70 to 74 percent, and there were allegations of rigging and booth capturing, officials said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed, however, that polling was “peaceful”.
Three deaths were reported from South 24 Parganas district, and another in North 24 Parganas district.
Amal Haldar died after he was shot in the head in Mayahauri village of South 24 Parganas district as a central paramilitary trooper opened fire to control a mob which went on a rampage in protest against the slow pace of polling, said Joynagar MLA and Socialist Unity Centre of India-Communist (SUCI-C) leader Tarun Naskar, adding that Haldar was an SUCI activist.
Motherbux Mallick, a Communist Party of India-Marxist supporter, died in a bomb attack while standing in the queue for voting in Bodai, in Amdanga block of North 24 Parganas.
Sanat Roy, a worker of the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress, was shot dead during violence in Laxmikantapur village of South 24 Parganas.
The body of a teenager was found at Ghutari Sharif of the same district.
IANS
