Before ballot battle, fight to file nomination... Clashes from north to south

A mob wielding sticks blocks the road to a nomination centre in Murshidabad’s Lalbagh on Thursday; (below) former CPM MP Ram Chandra Dome being treated at a hospital after an attack in Birbhum’s Nalhati. Pictures by Chayan Majumdar and Dwijodas Ghosh

TT, 5 Apr 06, 2018: Violence marred the Bengal panchayat poll nominations for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday with Opposition leaders accusing Trinamul of trying to crush their attempts to stand up to its "terror".

While the CPM and the Congress joined forces in several places to file nominations together, Trinamul faced allegations of attacking rivals to ensure a large number of uncontested victories for the ruling party in the May polls.

The Telegraph takes a closer look.

Nalhati, Birbhum

CPM central committee member Ram Chandra Dome - a physician and a former Lok Sabha MP who won seven times from Birbhum and Bolpur - was drenched in blood after he suffered injuries in a clash where CPM leaders and workers tried to resist Trinamul activists outside the block office in Nalhati. Dome received four stitches on his head. Suspected Trinamul supporters allegedly hurled bombs and fired bullets, although no casualty has been reported.

"Trinamul goons attacked us with firearms and bombs. We informed the police and the administration, but the police disappeared during the attack," said Dome.

Anubrata Mondal, the district Trinamul chief, claimed that the CPM tried to spread violence. "The clash took place following intimidation by the Opposition," said Mondal. 

Murshidabad

Noman Mondal, a former Congress zilla parishad member, came to the Hariharpara block office to file his papers. He was allegedly prevented by suspected Trinamul supporters, triggering a clash in which Congress workers retaliated by attacking Trinamul nominees. Two rounds were allegedly fired by Congress supporters.

Police caught two Congress workers with arms and, in a raid on the local party office, the cops claimed to have found more guns. The Congress claimed the weapons were planted.

North Dinajpur

BJP workers clashed with bombs, guns and sticks with Trinamul who allegedly tried to stop the other group from filing nominations outside Chopra block office.

In Itahar, over a thousand BJP workers, along with 300-odd tribals with bows and arrows, broke barricades near the BDO office and allegedly beat up officials, Trinamul workers and some cops tried to stop them from violating prohibitory orders.

Jalpaiguri

Trinamul workers in Malbazar allegedly ransacked the local BDO office after police asked them to clear out of the area. Police sources said the Trinamul activists first drove away BJP and CPM workers who had come to file nominations.

Bhusan Sherpa, the BDO, said a "group of miscreants" had resorted to the ransacking. Officials of the district administration said they were checking CCTV footages to identify the perpetrators.