Though senior leaders of the Trinamool and the Congress blamed the CPM for the rising violence, local leaders in Habra, North 24-Parganas, said it was due to the confrontation between the two allies.

A Congress leader, however, blamed the Trinamool for the death of Bapi Choudhury, a local Congress leader, who was killed yesterday after miscreants opened fire at a blood donation camp in Prafullanagar near Habra rail gate. Ranjit Roy, a Trinamool supporter, was also killed in the firing.

According to Congress sources, Trinamool-backed goons wanted to kill Choudhury and Roy was caught in the crossfire. Pradip Bhattacharjee, president of state Congress, however, denied this information and said: “We are fighting against the CPM.”

The Trinamool also rejected the claims and blamed the CPM for creating misunderstandings between the two allies. “Our party offices were ransacked and our leaders beaten up. The CPM is playing dirty politics and trying to divide our alliance. They are misleading a section of local Congress workers,” said Jyotipriyo Mullick, senior Trinamool leader and MLA from Gaighata.

The CPM and Trinamool Congress had clashed again on Sunday, leading to the death of workers from both parties as well as from Congress.

The Congress supporters blocked rail and road traffic in North 24-Parganas, where they had called a 12-hour bandh. The CPM also took out a rally in South 24-Parganas with the body of their slain comrade, Musharaf Kha, Canning zonal committee member and member of zila parishad, who was stabbed to death on Sunday.