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Four killed in West Bengal polls

Four people were killed in a bomb explosion and 20 injured in clashes during West Bengal's fifth panchayat elections which recorded about 45 per cent polling till noon today.

Inspector General of Police (law and order) Prasun Mukherjee told the media in Calcutta that police opened fire in the air to disperse two warring groups at Bhabangola in Murshidabad district. In all 15 people were injured in the clash.

He said two people were killed in a bomb explosion at Bamangram in Malda district. The bomb exploded when being assembled in the house of a Congress candidate. Two more deaths, in another bomb explosion, were reported from Bhatar in Burdwan district. The identity of the victims could not be established immediately.

He said three people were critically wounded when the bombs they were making exploded at Bakulhati village in Murshidabad district. Two people, including a policeman, were injured when a Communist Party of India-Marxist procession was attacked, allegedly by Congress supporters. Local Congress MLA Abul Basar Laskar was arrested in this connection, Mukherjee said.

UNI

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