The labourers, all said to be Congress supporters, had gone to their village panchayat member, a CPM leader. Following the clash, Rapid Action Force has been deployed in the area.

“As per preliminary reports, there was a clash between two groups. One person died of bomb injury and some others are injured. The situation is tense but under control. I have posted a huge contingent of policemen,” said Murhsidabad SP Basab Taluckdar.

Agitated over the fact that the scheme for 100 days of work is yet to start in their village this year, villagers of Chainpara Sitanagar, mostly Congress supporters, had gone to the house of president of Gramunnayan Committee, a CPM leader, around 8.30 am. Following a verbal duel, a clash broke out between CPM and Congress supporters, in which both sides fired at each other and hurled crude bombs. Around five huts in the village were also ransacked.

One of the labourers, 50-year-old Nirash Mondol, was hit by a bomb and died on the spot. Five others received critical injuries. Two of the injured were sent to Berhampur hospital while three others are admitted at Domkol sub-divisional hospital.

Both Congress and the CPM blamed each other for the incident. “It is a sad incident. Our senior leaders have rushed there to take stock of the situation. We are ensuring that poor people get their work,” said Nripen Choudhury, Murhsidabad district secretary of CPM.

“There has been no work under the NREGS in those areas. Our supporters just demanded their share of the work, when CPIM cadres started to fire and hurl bombs at us,” said Ansar Ali, a local Congress leader.