MALDA: A Trinamool Congress leader who was former panchayat Pradhan was allegedly murdered in Sujapur's Malda ahead of the rural polls, claimed party MLA Sabina Yeasmin on Saturday.

Terming the alleged killing of the leader a "political murder", Yeasmin said that a complaint has been given to the administration and election commission regarding the incident.

"This is a political murder. Complaint has been given to administration and election commission," she said while talking to the media. The TMC MLA further claimed that the leader was murdered by a few ex-party members who later joined the Congress after TMC denied tickets to them.

"Those who want to end TMC from the grassroots level were not given a ticket. They joined Congress and got a ticket. After that, they started indulging in rowdyism and spreading terror in the area. Today, they killed former pradhan, Mustafa Sheikh," Sabina Yeasmin said.

West Bengal is witnessing continuous violence across the state ahead of panchayat polls scheduled to take place on July 8 with the recent clashes on the final day of filing nominations, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown.

However, as per the officials, no casualties were reported in the incident. As per the visuals, crude bombs were also hurled in the area. Police detained a few people involved in the clash.