“A month ago, I wrote to the director general of the police as well as the state election commission, and expressed our fears of large-scale violence. Yet no steps were taken. CPM cadres butchered and shot our supporters and captured booth after booth, while the police and the Border Security Force (BSF) remained mute spectators. There is no point in supporting and being a part of such a government after what happened today. Armed cadres specifically targeted the family of our candidate,” said Subhas Naskar, state irrigation minister, at Basanti hospital.

“We tried for a pre-poll alliance. But the RSP did not come forward. Now their armed goons are terrorising our supporters and attacking them. One of our supporters died today,” said Kanti Ganguly, CPM leader and Sunderbans development minister.

Elsewhere, at Taldihi village, where three family members of the RSP candidate were shot dead allegedly by CPM cadres, a huge contingent of the police, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), tried to reach the spot but were thwarted by armed men and failed to enter the village for hours. Later, bodies and injured RSP supporters were sent to Basanti hospital.

Superintendent of Police Pravin Kumar said: “There has been sporadic violence. There was disruption in some booths. A rifle was snatched from a police constable. We have so far arrested 35 people. Polling was discontinued at one booth till last reports came in.”

Violence, booth capturing, bombings and shootings marred the second phase of the panchayat polls across South 24 Parganas, with Basanti its epicentre.

At some places, the observer had to rescue poll personnel from booths. Armed RSP and CPM supporters clashed at Dhuri booth number 30. Polling personnel and policemen guarding the booth confined themselves to one of the rooms of the Dhuri Primary School, as bombs were being hurled outside. The trapped personnel sent an SOS to poll observer A K Dhara, who rushed to the spot with a huge contingent of the police and rescued the personnel. The incident took place around 2 pm and polling had to be cancelled.