BIRBHUM: A local leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) was shot dead in Birbhum district of West Bengal early Saturday, triggering political tension ahead of next year’s state assembly elections, police and party officials said. Piyush Ghosh, 42, the TMC’s zone president in the Labhpur area and an office-bearer in the local panchayat samiti, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head around 500 metres from his home in Komarpur village. Police said he had received a call from an unknown number around 2 a.m. and left home on his motorcycle shortly before he was attacked at point-blank range. Three suspects, including a woman with known political links to the TMC, have been detained for questioning. A murder investigation has been launched, with police examining possible motives including political rivalry, personal enmity, and disputes over the local sand trade, in which Ghosh was reportedly involved. “This is a premeditated murder,” a senior TMC functionary said. “He was an influential figure in the area, both politically and economically. He had received threats during election season. We believe he was targeted to be removed from his organisational role.”
Ghosh’s wife said she had repeatedly urged him to step away from politics, fearing for their safety. “Now I just want my children to be secure and get proper employment,” she said.
The killing comes just days after two other TMC leaders were shot dead in separate incidents — Rajjak Khan in South 24 Parganas and another party worker in Malda. The spate of violence has raised alarm within the ruling party, with some leaders pointing to rising intra-party tensions and deteriorating law and order.
Local MLA Abhijit Sinha called the murder “deeply unfortunate” and said the party would fully cooperate with the police investigation. “We have full faith in the administration. The culprits and the source of the weapon used will be uncovered,” he said. Police have sent the body for postmortem and deployed additional forces in the region to prevent unrest. Birbhum Superintendent of Police Amandeep confirmed that three people were in custody and being interrogated. The TMC, which has ruled West Bengal since 2011, faces state elections in less than a year. Political analysts say the recent killings underscore growing tension at the grassroots level within the party and the volatile political atmosphere in rural Bengal.