CPM supporters block NH34. (Surajit Roy)

Malda, May 2: Three men on motorcycles shot at a CPM zilla parishad candidate in Sujapur this afternoon while he was campaigning in a village, the party has claimed.

The candidate has also accused the gang of abducting an “influential” CPM leader of the area whose son will contest the gram panchayat elections this year.

In an FIR lodged with the Kaliachak police station, the candidate, Haji Ketabuddin has named Merajul Basni, Safiqul Biswas and Bakul Biswas as the three men who allegedly fired on him.

“I and my party workers were conducting a door-to-door campaign in Bagharpur village this afternoon when these three men riding two motorcycles arrived and started firing on us. I took refuge in a bylane, while my supporters scattered to save themselves,” said Ketabuddin, who is also the secretary of the Kaliachak local committee of the CPM.

Alerted by the gunshots, the villagers came out in numbers, Ketabuddin added. “Amanullah Biswas, an influential CPM leader of Sujapur, was among them and the gang kidnapped him and fled,” Ketabuddin said.

Amanullah is a silk trader. His son, Erfan Ali, is a CPM candidate in the gram panchayat polls.

CPM supporters blocked NH34 for two hours demanding the arrest of the culprits.

Police later recovered one motorcycle and seized two loaded improvised firearms from the area.

District CPM secretary, Jiban Moitra, claimed that a group of criminals in Sujapur was trying to disrupt the election process. “They have become so bold that they are firing at our candidates openly. One of our leaders has been abducted and they are trying to extort money by spreading fear,” he added.

Malda police chief Satyajit Bandyopadhyay said efforts were on to rescue Amanullah. “They have run away from the area but we are stepping up vigil in Sujapur,” he added.