May 10: The CPM today appealed to its cadres and those of its allies not to “take law into their hands” in the event of trouble on polling day.

“I’m asking CPM workers and those of our allies not to take law into their own hands while dealing with those creating trouble. Leave it to the law-enforcing agencies,” Left Front chairman and CPM state secretary Biman Bose said.

The directive followed reports of violence from several districts. “The front is incurring the people’s wrath because of the CPM cadres’ high-handedness,” a front leader said.

Mamata Banerjee said she had informed Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi about the “state-sponsored terrorism”.

Suspected CPM supporters set fire to the house of a Trinamul Congress candidate in Burdwan last night. Rubia Begum said CPM cadres had been threatening her. In South 24-Parganas, four houses were ransacked today.

Railway police officer Sadhan Haldar, who was deputed for poll duty in East Midnapore’s Moyna, accidentally shot himself in the abdomen while loading his revolver. The bullet pierced him but he is safe.

A presiding officer was arrested in Burdwan town after being found in a hotel room with three women.