Four killed in post-election violence in India’s West Bengal

Unrest grips the key eastern state after Modi’s Hindu nationalist BJP wins the state election for the first time.At least four people have been killed in political unrest after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party won the state election in West Bengal, police and party officials say.Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the polls in its first-ever victory in the key eastern state, home to about 100 million people, winning 206 of the 294 assembly seats, according to results announced on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4What Modi’s big win in Indian state elections could mean for its democracylist 2 of 4‘Hegemonic power’: How Modi’s BJP won India’s Bengal for the first timelist 3 of 4India loses its last left-wing government after five decadeslist 4 of 4Why is India turning to crocodiles and snakes to ‘fence’ Bangladesh border?end of listWest Bengal had been ruled by Modi’s fierce critic and adversary, Mamata Banerjee, as chief minister since 2011.Banerjee, leader of the regional India-trinamool-congress" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="121997" data-entity-type="organization">All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, also lost her seat in the polls and has rejected the results, accusing the federal government of rigging the election.Police said clashes between rival party supporters erupted in the state capital, Kolkata, and other West Bengal districts after the results were announced.The BJP said two party workers were killed, while the TMC said two of their workers were beaten to death.“Two of our workers were killed after results of the elections were announced on Monday,” BJP state leader Samik Bhattacharya told the AFP news agency, insisting that the party stands “for peace”.TMC, in a statement on social media, reported the “brutal murder” of two party workers.“Our party offices were attacked in several areas of the state,” TMC spokesman Narendranath Chakraborty told AFP. “Two of the victims were grassroots political workers.”A senior police officer, who was not authorised to speak to reporters, confirmed four deaths in clashes and said one officer had been shot in the leg.