Midnapore, March 13: In an area where the CPM has frequently been the target of Maoist guerrillas, two leaders of a rival party were shot dead last night and the needle of suspicion turned to the CPM.

Suspected CPM-backed goons killed two leaders of the faction-ridden Jharkhand Party at Kapastia village in Jamboni, West Midnapore, 180 km from Calcutta, around 9.30 pm.

Although Jamboni itself is not known for CPI (Maoist) activities, neighbouring Binpur and Belpahari and Jharkhand’s Chakulia and Ghatshila are rebel strongholds.

Kali Mandi, 35, and Badal Besra, 42, belonged to the Aditya Kisku faction of the Jharkhand Party. Kali was the president of its Jamboni unit and former chief of Parihati village panchayat and Badal a member of the same body.

The district secretary of their party, Ajit Saha, said the attack was planned to create a fear among villagers before the elections ? a charge the CPM often levels against the Maoists.

Additional superintendent of police Rabindranath Mukhopadhyay said: “It was a political murder. We are questioning a Jharkhand Party worker who escaped the attack.”

Karu Hembram, the survivor, said the three of them were cycling home from party colleague Paban Murmu’s house when attacked.