Over 1,500 villagers, including poll nominees, have been driven out of their homes for reportedly refusing to take part in the CPM rallies and threatening to defy the diktat to vote for the party on May 11 — when the first phase of the polls is set to be held.

The local administration once again failed to provide succour. There was no ration or shelter, even as their numbers swelled by the hour. Nandigram BDO Shantiram Gorai claimed to have despatched over 50 letters in the past week to higher authorities seeking security and rations. But he is yet to get any response. He pointed out that conducting polls in this situation was “impossible”.

And in a repetition of the November violence last year, a woman was allegedly stripped and beaten up by CPM cadres in public at Keyakhali village. The incident reportedly took place on Monday and a complaint was lodged today. The CID has taken up the case.

“Yesterday, CPM cadres including some women came to my house in Keyakhali. They asked me and my husband to join their rallies, but we refused. Later, participants at a CPM rally dragged my husband out of the house and started to beat him up. I tried to flee but was caught. They dragged me out and stripped me in front of everybody,” said the victim, who has been admitted to Nandigram hospital.

There were sporadic clashes between CPM cadres and supporters of the Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC) at various places today. Local Trinamool leaders alleged that CPM cadres had taken away the voter ID cards of 500 villagers. Interestingly, CPM leaders still felt that the atmosphere in Nandigram is conducive for polls. “Some clashes took place between both sides. But we are being accused of violence. The situation is conducive for the polls in Nandigram. Our cadres have not driven out anyone from anywhere,” said Ashok Guria, CPM district committee member.

“It is back to those dreaded days in November when CPM cadres recaptured Nandigram and drove us out of our homes. At that time we had a local school to stay in, but now we are at the mercy of God. The trouble started after I filed my nomination as a Trinamool candidate. CPM cadres visited my house and told me withdraw my nomination, but I refused. They told me to leave the village.

Two days ago, they attacked my house, and I had to flee with my two children,” said Rita Gayen, a Gram Panchayat candidate from Gokulnagar.

Gayen is one of the 114 GP candidates who have filed their nominations against the CPM in Nandigram.

“Forget campaigning for Trinamool, we were asked to join the CPM rallies in my village. When I refused, they beat me up. I somehow ran to the BDO’s office and now this office veranda is my home,” said Sheikh Sahauddin, another GP candidate.

“We all came here last week. There are more that 40 families from my village who had to flee for their lives,” said Shamima Bibi, a Trinamool supporter from Satengabari. A refugee camp has also been set up at Maheshpur, which is a BUPC stronghold.

Opposition parties have fielded candidates in all 114 GP seats , 27 Panchayat Samity seats and two Zilla Parishad seats in Nandigram block 1.