A women relative of RSP leader and state Irrigation Minister Subhas Naskar was seriously injured in a bomb attack in the area. The clashes occurred in the run-up to the May 14 panchayat election.
Under directions from Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and former chief minister Jyoti Basu, Sunderbans Minister Kanti Ganguly and Land Reforms Minister AR Mollah of the CPI(M) met Naskar and Public Works Minister Kshiti Goswami, both of the RSP. The leaders promised to tell their supporters to stop attacking each other and avoid provocative steps like taking out processions in the area.
The seat, 80 km south of Kolkata in the Sunderbans area, would go to polls on May 19, it was announced late tonight.
Basu said he was shocked at the violence. "It seems we have to rebuild the Left Front again. All this bloodshed over a panchayat seat?", he said.
State Left Front chairman Biman Bose said the differences between the two parties would be settled through discussions.