Kolkata: The death toll in violence in Murshidabad district during the last phase of Panchayat elections yesterday rose to 19 today with 231 people admitted to different hospitals, as fresh armed clash between the CPI-M and Congress claimed one more life in the district.

The police fished out the body of a CPI-M worker, missing since May 14, from the Battuli river, near Sagar island, in South 24-parganas district during the day.

Murshidabad district alone accounted for 18 deaths, mostly in clashes and bomb attacks between Congress and CPI(M) supporters yesterday, with Chief Medical Officer (Health) M G Mondal confirming 11 deaths at Domkol, two each in Raninagar, Lalgola and Kandi and one at Sagardighi.

District Magistrate Subir Bhadra said one CPI(M) activist was killed and another injured in an armed clash with Congress workers at Rezinagar, 40 km off Berhampore, this morning. Six persons were injured in the clash, he said.

IGP (south Bengal) S K Purkayastha was camping at Domkol, where fresh violence was reported today. A large posse of policemen were patrolling Domkol streets as tension still prevailed there.

Meanwhile, the police recovered body of a CPI-M worker, missing since May 14, the day of the second phase of panchayat polls in the South Bengal, from Battuli river at Rudranagar near Sagar island, today.

Source : PTI