Widespread violence marred the panchayat polls in West Bengal on Monday, leaving at least six people dead and 43 injured.

Widespread violence marred the panchayat polls in West Bengal on Monday, leaving at least six people dead and 43 injured.

Amid reports of clashes and violence, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien tweeted:

To all 'newborn' experts on Bengal #PanchayatElections in State have a history. 400 killed in poll violence in 1990s in CPIM rule. 2003: 40 dead.Every death is a tragedy. Now closer to normal than earlier times.Yes, few dozen incidents. Say,40 out of 58000 booths. What's %age ? — Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) May 14, 2018

He further said that the CPM and BJP are now so desperate that "they are even ganging up with Maoists to kill/shoot/stab three Trinamool workers in different incidents in Bengal." However, several people on Twitter did not take kindly to the TMC MP's comments. While some harked back to his days as a quizmaster, some questioned why he was citing old statistics to defend his party's position with respect to poll violence reported recently.

Stick to Bournvita Quiz contest mate. https://t.co/SttHGRE98D — Utsav Ojha (@_thatUtsavOjha) May 14, 2018

This whataboutery and subsequent dismissal of reportage are nice. But these will no longer work. Either you take action or are an (alleged) party to this hooliganism. Stop using statistics as a shield. https://t.co/EsP5wWPZL0 — Niladri Bose (@Neel_2014) May 14, 2018

If you have had to quote 1990's in 2018 then your argument is a sham. https://t.co/W1hQIDEqRM — shilpi tewari (@shilpitewari) May 14, 2018

These 40 lives do matter, Sir. Didn’t expect an “expert” like you to normalise the murders. Regards https://t.co/etQSldEwEs — Kanchan Srivastava (@Ms_Aflatoon) May 14, 2018

On Monday, a youth was beaten to death as he tried to enter a polling premises in Nadia district while a Trinamool Congress activist was shot dead in South 24 Parganas district's Kultali, police said.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist claimed one of its activists was killed in bomb attacks in North 24 Parganas district's Amdanga.

Two deaths were reported from Murshidabad district, and another from Nadia.

"Three youths were beaten up by locals in Nadia district's Shantipur area on Monday morning. Police rescued and got them admitted to a local hospital. One of them, Sanjit Pramanik, succumbed to his injuries," Nadia district Superintendent of Police Santosh Pandey told IANS.

"Trinamool Congress worker Arif Ali Gazi was shot in the chest while coming out of a polling booth. He died in a hospital," an officer from Kultali police station said.

With inputs from IANS