Mamata blames Cong for poll violence

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed Congress for violence in its stronghold in Malda and Murshidabad districts in the fourth phase of panchayat polls today and accused a central minister of threatening voters.
"I have heard that one central minister along with central and rail forces held out threats to the people," Banerjee said in an apparent reference to Minister of State for Railways Adhir Chowdhury, who is the Murshidabad district president of Congress committee.
"If you (Congress) have trust, why (did) you take up guns and use bombs," she told at a campaign meeting here in Coochbehar district.

State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim accused Chowdhury of moving around booths with Railway Protection Force and terrorising voters, and demanded his arrest.
"I have heard that Murshidabad and Malda are claimed to be their (Congress) stronghold). If that is so, then can the Congress leaders tell why they did not allow people to vote freely and why they did not allow free and fair election without taking up guns?" Banerjee asked while warning that her government would not allow the "politics of threat and violence".
"Those who are indulging in violence with bombs and guns, I ask them to be careful. My government will not allow it."

One voter each were killed in poll violence in Malda and Murshidabad today.
A woman was killed in Murshidabad when a crude bomb was thrown at her when she came out of the booth after voting, while a man was shot dead by CRPF in Malda for throwing stones at the security forces.