In continuing political violence in the state, a local CPM leader in South 24-Parganas district was hacked to death by a group of 20-odd miscreants late Friday night, sparking strong protest from the ruling party which alleged its cadres are being killed ever since the Trinamool Congress romped home in rural polls and Lok Sabha elections.

According to police, Rafiq Mollah, a member of Gangadharpur gram panchayat in Patharpratime block, was returning home late Friday night when around 20 people attacked him.The police have picked up four suspects following raids.

State’s Land and Land Reforms Ministers Abdur Rezzak Mollah, who is a CPM leader from the district, said, “After the Lok Sabha elections, 18 of our party supporters have been murdered in South 24-Parganas alone.

The sporadic attacks turned serious after the Trinamool’s victory in the rural polls last year.”

The Trinamool, however, blamed it on in-fighting among the CPM cadres. “After our success in the rural and Lok Sabha polls, CPM’s base is virtually non-existent in Bengal. CPM supporters are joining us in droves.

There is serious in-fighting among CPM supporters, which is leading to such murders,” said Partho Chatterjee, Trinamool MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.

Apart from clashes with the Trinamool supporters, CPM cadres are also facing fire from the Maoists, who have killed several ruling party supporters ever since security operations began in Lalgarh over two months ago.