?A Trinamool Congress activist was shot dead allegedly by two unidentified bike-borne assailants at Ketugram in Purba Bardhaman district Thursday morning, ahead of panchayat polls in West Bengal. A police officer said Dulal Sheikh, an active TMC worker in the area, was shot at point-blank range when he was sipping tea at a stall in Amgaria Bazar. ? ? ?

Sheikh (50) was rushed to a nearby health centre where he was declared brought dead, he said. "My father had been threatened with dire consequences by some people who belong to a rival faction of TMC in the area. He was involved in the supply of sand and building materials,” Sheikh’s son said. ?

TMC state vice president Joy Prakash Majumdar said "Ahead of the panchayat polls, BJP and CPI(M) are hatching a conspiracy to eliminate influential TMC members in different areas. It has to be investigated to find out whether Sheikh was a victim of any such plan."

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, "TMC factions are involved in brutal attacks against each other. They are turning West Bengal into killing fields." CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, "TMC workers and leaders are now fighting over spoils from activities like sand mining, smuggling and supply of building materials. Such incidents will rise with polls drawing near.”