Unidentified assailants killed a Bharatiya Janata Party leader in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Friday night, PTI reported, quoting police. The man, 45-year-old Shaktipada Sardar, was the secretary of the party’s local committee in Mandir Bazar-Dhanurhat area of the district.

Two booth presidents of the Trinamool Congress have been arrested in connection with the death, ANI reported. They were sent to eight-day police custody. The Trinamool Congress had denied the allegation when the BJP blamed the party earlier for the death.

The attackers allegedly hit Sardar with a sharp weapon and left him bleeding on the road when he was returning home, police said. Residents found him on the road and took him to Diamond Harbour Hospital, which referred him to a hospital in Kolkata. Sardar died on the way to Kolkata, police said.

A police investigation is under way.

West Bengal: BJP leader Shaktipada Sardar of Mandirbazar Block, South 24 Parganas, died last night after being allegedly attacked by goons, complaint has been lodged by BJP against local TMC leaders; TMC workers say 'We have nothing to do with such attacks on BJP leaders.' pic.twitter.com/OqS2iUXcwM — ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2018

West Bengal: Two TMC Booth Presidents have been sent to eight-day police custody by Diamond Harbour subdivisional court after they were arrested in connection with the murder of BJP leader Shaktipada Sardar of Mandirbazar Block, South 24 Parganas & produced before it today. pic.twitter.com/zMJXLMaRpl — ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2018

Sardar’s family claimed he was getting threats since the panchayat elections in the state in May, reported India Today. The BJP’s state unit said that Sardar was killed because the party “won this block in panchayat election, and he was punished for ensuring BJP’s victory”. “This is continuation of panchayat poll violence as process for panchayat board has just begun,” the party tweeted.

The incident follows a series of unnatural deaths of people who the BJP has claimed were its workers. The party had blamed Trinamool Congress for the deaths.