Murshidabad:
Three Congress supporters were killed today while two others -- one each from the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) -- died yesterday in various clashes in West Bengal's Murshidabad district ahead of the fourth phase of panchayat polls to be held tomorrow.
Police say two Congress supporters were killed early today in Kapashdanga village in the Beldanga police station area while making bombs at the house of one Majid Ali, who has fled the area with his family.
A third Congress supporter, Ripon Sheikh, was killed when bombs were hurled at him at Geet village in the Bharatpur police station area. Another person was injured and rushed to hospital.
Yesterday, one Jitesh Sheikh of the CPI-M was killed by bombs at Sunderpur village while in Mirzapur Dakshinpara, one Yasin Sheikh was shot and hacked to death.
Murshidabad is one of four districts going to the polls in the fourth phase of panchayat elections; Birbhum, Nadia and Malda being the other three.
While the Trinamool Congress is trying to increase its presence in Murshidabad, the district is dominated by the Congress and the Left. In 2008, the Left Front snatched the Zilla Parishad polls, which the Congress is now trying to win back.
Apart from Murshidabad, reports of clashes have also come from Malda and Birbhum districts.
Violence and deaths have marked the five-phase panchayat elections in the politically-volatile state, ruled by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, since the voting began on July 11.
On Friday, three people died during the third phase of elections in Howrah, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts.
The first three phases of voting were held on July 11, 15 and 19. Polling for the next two rounds will be held tomorrow and on July 25 while the votes will be counted on July 29.