WB panchayat polls: Clash breaks out between TMC & Cong workers in Murshidabad

MURSHIDABAD: Ahead of the West Bengal panchayat elections, a clash broke out between Trinamool Congress and Congress workers on Friday night in the Shamsherganj area of Murshidabad district. A house was vandalised as the workers of the two parties came to blows.

A team from the local police station reached the spot after receiving word of the incident.

Further details are awaited on the incident. Earlier, a search operation was underway on Friday after police received the information that crude bombs and weapons have been stockpiled in the South 24 Parganas district.

Police said that they received information about bombs and weapons that had been stockpiled to create disturbance during polling for panchayats in the district. However, they added that nothing has been found yet.

"We had received information about the presence of bombs and weapons here, but till now we have not found anything. A search operation is underway.We have come to know from sources that preparations are being made to create disturbance during polling. We have information that crude bombs have been hidden in the area and searches are underway to find them," SDPO Dibakar Das said.

Multiple incidents of violence have been reported in the state in the run-up to the panchayat elections. On July 1, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) worker was allegedly shot dead in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district.

The deceased was found lying with a bullet injury on his head on the side of the road at Basanti police station. Earlier, a TMC worker was allegedly beaten to death in the Malda district.

The panchayat elections are scheduled to be held in a single phase on July 8 with the counting of votes on July 11.

The polls are likely to see a fierce tussle for control of local administrations between the ruling TMC and the BJP and will be a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.