Burdwan, West Bengal:
Three people, including a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate's husband, have been killed in clashes during the second phase of polling today for the West Bengal panchayat elections.
Mohammad Sheikh Hasmat, the husband of Manohara Bibi, the CPI-M candidate for the Madhudanga gram panchayat in Burdwan, was killed when bombs were hurled at a polling booth this morning.
Moments later, villagers caught hold of one of the attackers, Raj Kumar Khora, and allegedly beat him to death in full view of 5 state policemen who could do nothing to stop them. Central forces have now been sent to the area.
In another incident, a Trinamool Congress supporter was killed in a clash with supporters of an independent candidate at Nowpara in Burdwan.
A CPI-M candidate for the Panuria gram panchayat was also injured in another attack, also in the Burdwan district.
With reports of tension and clashes in many parts of Burdwan, security has been tightened at 1,700 polling booths declared "highly sensitive".
In the second phase of five-phase elections, polling is underway in 12,869 seats in rural bodies spread over three districts - Hooghly, East Midnapore and Burdwan.
Also polling today are Singur and Nandigram, known for violent protests against the acquisition of farm land that led to the ouster of the Left Front government and propelled the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress to power. But both areas are believed to be calm so far.
Mohammad Sheikh Hasmat, the husband of Manohara Bibi, the CPI-M candidate for the Madhudanga gram panchayat in Burdwan, was killed when bombs were hurled at a polling booth this morning.
Moments later, villagers caught hold of one of the attackers, Raj Kumar Khora, and allegedly beat him to death in full view of 5 state policemen who could do nothing to stop them. Central forces have now been sent to the area.
In another incident, a Trinamool Congress supporter was killed in a clash with supporters of an independent candidate at Nowpara in Burdwan.
A CPI-M candidate for the Panuria gram panchayat was also injured in another attack, also in the Burdwan district.
With reports of tension and clashes in many parts of Burdwan, security has been tightened at 1,700 polling booths declared "highly sensitive".
In the second phase of five-phase elections, polling is underway in 12,869 seats in rural bodies spread over three districts - Hooghly, East Midnapore and Burdwan.
Also polling today are Singur and Nandigram, known for violent protests against the acquisition of farm land that led to the ouster of the Left Front government and propelled the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress to power. But both areas are believed to be calm so far.
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