Thrashed on first poll day, TMC booth prez dies

Kolkata: The 48-year-old Trinamool Congress (TMC) booth president at Balarampur in Nandigram, Rabin Manna, who was mercilessly beaten up allegedly by BJP-backed goons before the elections, succumbed to his injuries on Friday at SSKM Hospital.

A pall of gloom descended upon Balarampur when the news of Manna's death reached the village where his family members "had to take refuge in the house in the adjacent locality" as their home was ransacked allegedly by the BJP workers.

Reacting on the incident, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee said: "Our active worker Rabin Manna passed away this morning. It was BJP who killed him. Police are yet to arrest the culprits in this connection. Now, the administration is being run by the Election Commission. We would have taken immediate steps if the thing would have been in our hand."

On March 27 during the first phase of polls, Manna was assaulted at Boyal village in Nandigram. There were elections in seven Assembly constituencies in East Midnapore on that day while the poll in Nandigram was held on April 1. Some local people and party workers took him to a nearby hospital. But, his condition continued to deteriorate with heavy bleeding. He was later shifted to SSKM Hospital. He was in coma with severe head injuries. Manna is survived by his wife, daughter and son, who is a BA final year student. Banerjee, who is TMC's candidate in Nandigram, had also visited his house at Balarampur on the last day of poll campaigning in Nandigram on March 30. She had interacted with his father and wife. Outgoing minister and TMC's East Midnapore president Saumen Mahapatra along with other party leaders, including Sheikh Sufian, were present at the funeral of Manna near Balarampur village.

BJP, however, refuted all allegations.