The State recorded 26 political murders in 2013, which is more than 25 percent of the 101 cases in the entire country during the period.

West Bengal has earned the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of political murders in the country, the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) latest report points out.

The State recorded 26 political murders in 2013, which is more than 25 percent of the 101 cases in the entire country during the period.

The NCRB report released in June 2014 which compiles the cases recorded in 2013 pointed out that Madhya Pradesh with 22 murders is at the second position.

Bihar with 12 is at the third position. West Bengal had occupied third position in 2012.

Though the number dropped in Bihar (from 32 in 2012 to 12 in 2013) and in Madhya Pradesh (from 28 in 2012 to 22 in 2013), in West Bengal the figures have increased.

Interestingly, violence was reported at Arambagh in Hooghly district even on Monday where supporters of the BJP were allegedly attacked by workers of the ruling All India Trinamool Congress.

“The society of the West Bengal has always been highly politicised and political conflict is increasing day by day,” Biswanath Chakraborty, political commentator and academician, told The Hindu.

Elaborating on the reason, Prof Chakraborty said that while violence between the political party in power and the main Opposition party has continued in West Bengal the situation has been compounded by intra-party violence in the ruling Trinamool.

Moreover, along with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the emergence of BJP as an opposition force has added to the violence, the political science professor at Rabindra Bharati University said.

Sujato Bhadra, prominent civil right activist who has documented political murders in the State, said that intra-party violence in the ruling party is a unique development.