WB Panchayat Polls: BJP leader found dead in Purulia, probe underway

Purulia (West Bengal) [India], July 4 : West Bengal Police on Monday recovered body of a BJP leader, Bankim Hansda, from the Bodo area of the state's Purulia district.

"This morning the police recovered the dead body of a BJP leader named Bankim Hansda, president of the BJP booth committee, from the Jodgoda area," said Vivek Ranga, BJP District President on Monday.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the case is underway.

"Police recovered the body of a BJP leader named Bankim Hansda from the Bodo area of Purulia district. Further investigation into the matter is underway," said Purulia DSP Abhijeet Bandopadhyay.

Further details awaited.

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday criticised the ongoing violence in Panchayat polls and said that the violence can be described as politics of "murder", "intimidation" and of "muscle flexing".

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose who has been visiting various places where violence had earlier broken out in the state."My visit to the field has convinced me that there is violence in certain pockets of West Bengal. There is a manifestation of what is called the politics of murder, the politics of intimidation, the politics of muscle flexing," he said.

Governor CV Ananda Bose said that his visits should not be construed as a "fault-finding mission" but a "fact-finding mission".

West Bengal has seen several incidents of violence around the filing of nominations for the panchayat polls as well as after, including one where crude bombs were allegedly hurled at a Block Development Office (BDO) at Ahmadpur in Birbhum district.

A TMC worker was also allegedly beaten to death in the Malda district. The panchayat elections will be held in a single phase, with the counting of votes scheduled on July 11.

The polls are likely to see a fierce tussle for control of local administrations between the ruling TMC and the BJP and will be a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.