Kolkata

A local leader of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) was allegedly hacked to death in North 24 Parganas, heightening tensions ahead of the state assembly elections, police said on Thursday.

The deceased, identified as Masiur Gazi (41), was the booth president (No. 178) in Champatala gram panchayat in the Deganga area. His blood-stained body was discovered on a roadside near Nobbai Pat Gheri under Haroa police station limits.

According to police, preliminary findings suggest that Gazi may have been murdered elsewhere and his body later dumped at the location. “Prima facie, it appears he was hacked to death. An investigation has been initiated,” an officer said.

Gazi, a garment trader by profession, was described by party members as an active grassroots functionary. The incident has sparked political unrest in the district, which is set to vote in the second phase of the elections on April 29.

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Police have launched a probe and are examining all possible angles, including internal rivalry within the party and potential business-related disputes.