"Today in the Bengal elections media too has been roundly attacked by the Trinamool Congress. It is a cold blooded murder of democracy in West Bengal.
"And in the interest of democracy, there should be fresh elections monitored by Central forces. Otherwise, the process of restoring democracy and rule of law in Bengal is in danger," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury told PTI when asked to comment about about violence in municipal polls and assaults on journalists.
"The voter turnout till 5 pm in Bidhanngar and Asansol was 71 per cent. We have received complaints of violence, rigging and malpractices from both places. We are looking into those complaints and will decide the course of action," State Election Commissioner S R Upadhaya said.
The election to Bally under Howrah Municipal Corporation and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad passed off peacefully, he said.
Rubbishing opposition allegations that ruling Trinamool Congress had used outsiders to unleash violence in Bidhannagar and Asansol, senior ruling party leader and state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said "The opposition parties have tried to create violence during the elections. As the ruling party why should we create violence? We want to categorically state that in Bengal rule of the law has been established under Mamata Banerjee."
Senior CPI-M leader Gautam Deb announced that the Left Front has called a 12-hour bandh at Rajarhat-Bidhannagar area on Monday in protest against the alleged malpractices and violence.