According to police sources, the preliminary investigation suggests that the attack might be linked to factionalism within the party.However, senior TMC leaders, including English Bazar Municipality Chairman Krishnendu Narayan Choudhury, claimed that external forces, including Bangladeshi infiltrators, could be behind the attack.Tension has been running high in Malda since the January 2 killing of Dulal Sarkar, a district vice-president of the TMC.He was gunned down in broad daylight near his home, allegedly over a dispute related to the sharing of extortion money.Seven persons were arrested in connection with Sarkar’s murder, but the case remains unresolved.The party had expelled its Malda Town president, Narendra Nath Tiwari, who was arrested last week for his alleged involvement in the conspiracy of the murder.Tuesday’s attack has fueled further speculation about infighting within the ruling party.Local sources claimed that the assailants were acting under the direction of TMC worker Zakir Sheikh, who allegedly had a longstanding feud with Bakul Sheikh over territorial dominance.However, the party’s Malda district president Abdul Rahim Bokshi said that Zakir Sheikh is not a member of the TMC.The police have launched a manhunt for the accused and cordoned off the area.The back-to-back killings have cast a shadow over the TMC’s internal dynamics in Malda, raising questions about the ability of the party authorities to manage factionalism ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections.
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