A couple were burnt to death at their home in South 24 Parganas district early today, hours before panchayat polls were to being in West Bengal, police said. Family members of the victims, stated to be a CPI(M) worker and his wife, alleged that goons of the ruling Trinamool Congress set fire to the house at Kachharabari locality of Kakdwip at around 1 am.

"An incident of fire was reported. A man and his wife were burnt to death. Forensic experts have been called," Sundarbans Coastal police district SP Tathagata Basu said.

CPI(M) district secretary Shamik Lahiri named some people claiming that those goons of the Trinamool Congress had assaulted party worker Debaprasad Das and his wife Usha and then set the house afire.

Minister and local Trinamool MLA Mantu Pakhira denied the allegation and said the fire may have been caused by short circuit.

A total of 10 deaths have been reported so far. Deaths have been reported in Beldanga and Nauda in Murshidabada, Kultaki in South 24 Parganas, Amdanga and Deganga in North 24 Parganas, Santipur and Nakashipara in Nadia, Nandigram in East Midnapore and in North Coochbehar.

Ballot boxes were looted at gunpoint on Monday by unidentified people at polling booths in West Bengal's Murshidabad where Panchayat Election is underway.

The ongoing Panchayat Election saw huge-scale clashes between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, resulting in the death of one.

Clashes also broke out between TMC and Congress supporters in Murshidabad.

"BJP agent was trying to run away with the ballot box, while officers caught hold of him but people said to let him go. I just drove people away using my hand, that's all," State Minister Rabindra Nath Ghosh told ANI, who was caught on camera slapping a BJP supporter.

"TMC hasn't attacked anyone," Ghosh added. A voting booth was also vandalised allegedly by TMC workers in North Dinajpur's Sonadangi during the panchayat polls.Earlier, some ballot papers were also thrown in a pond after a clash between TMC and BJP workers in Murshidabad. A ballot box was also retrieved from a pond in Sonadangi.The clashes between the two parties also led to vandalism of vehicles in Raniganj area of Asansol during the time of voting.

Earlier in the day, a TMC worker namely Arif Gazi was shot dead in Kultali area of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district in poll-related violence even as voting continues in the state.On a related note, the voting, which began at 7 a.m. on Monday morning, will continue till 5 p.m. in 621 Zilla Parishads, 6157 panchayat samitis, and 31,827 gram panchayats.The counting will take place on May 17.

With inputs from PTI and ANI