In yet another incidence of violence ahead of Sunday's Panchayat polls, some Trinamool Congress and Bhumi Ucched Pratirodh Committee supporters were cane-charged by the Rapid Action Force as they tried to prevent a truck with material for elections from moving out of the BDO's office.

The TMC and BUPC workers had stopped the truck on the ground that they would be unable to vote as they had been driven out of their villages, the police said.

Justifying the cane-charge, the office-in-charge of Nandigram [Images] Debasish Chakraborty said 'police have done their duty'.

A journalist was also injured.

The truck carrying the election material moved out after the supporters were dispersed.

The Central Reserve Police Force, meanwhile, searched the house of a Communist Party of India-Marxist supporter Panchanan Jana at Kakaberia after initially being denied permission by the police. However, nothing was found.

Coverage: Violence Rocks Nandigram

A BUPC supporter was on Friday admitted to a hospital after he was allegedly beaten up by suspected CPI-M activists, sources in organisation had said.

On his part, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had played down the renewed violence at Nandigram while assuring the people on Friday of a 'peaceful' Panchayat election.

Intellectuals to shack up at Nandigram

Meanwhile, DIG, CRPF Alok Raj took charge of additional three companies for the polls as flag marches were staged in villages including Gokulnagar, Takapara, Sonachura and Aamgachia.

At some places, the paramilitary force faced allegations of not being neutral, Raj said.

"In Aamgachia, we were surrounded by people who charged that we are working for a particular political party," Raj said.

Stating that the CRPF personnel worked late into the night, sometimes without adequate food and water, Raj said, it would be the endeavour of the central force to conduct a free and fair poll.

Meanwhile, BUPC leader Bhawani Das alleged that CPI-M cadre snatched away ID cards from supporters to prevent them from voting in tomorrow's panchayat polls.

"Our supporters are being threatened so that they are forced to stay indoors during Sunday's election," Das said.
 
Das said that the CPI-M also hurled bombs at his house for which he had filed an FIR with the police station.