Violence rages on, two more dead

TT, Alipurduar/Raiganj: A BJP supporter in a victory march was killed in Alipurduar by suspected Trinamul activists on Thursday night, extending the spell of panchayat poll-related violence beyond counting.

Houses of leaders, workers and candidates of Opposition parties were ransacked in North Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri. Some Opposition candidates alleged intimidation and eviction from counting centres by ruling party groups.

Pradip Das, 54, died after being hit on the head when he tried to stop the alleged Trinamul activists from thrashing supporters of Arjun Biswas, a BJP winner in Alipurduar's Majherdabri panchayat. Trinamul leaders denied the allegations.

Biplab Sarkar, 35, a Trinamul panchayat samiti candidate at Habra in North 24-Parganas thrashed by alleged BJP supporters on Monday before he won the seat, died on Friday.

The government has announced Rs 2 lakh per family in case of 14 poll-related deaths. The wife of Rajkumar Ray, the presiding officer found dead in Raiganj, would be given Rs 5 lakh and a job, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday.

According to reports from The Telegraph's bureaux, at least 30 people have died since the polls on Monday. The toll includes the two deaths in the past 24 hours.