The deceased has been identified as Santanu Bera, 27. His body was found in an open field in Poporpara of Pingla under the Kharagpur Police station. The area falls under the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency, where polling will be held on May 25.

The family of the deceased and the BJP have demanded a CBI probe into the death.

“His body was recovered Saturday morning, and it has been sent for post-mortem. A case has already been filed. The actual cause of death is yet to be ascertained,” said an official.

According to family members of the deceased, Santanu Bera was making poll graffiti for the saffron party for a month, and the TMC was repeatedly threatening him.

The local BJP candidate, Hiran Chatterjee, visited the deceased worker’s house on Sunday. Chatterjee, who is also a BJP MLA, blamed the police and the ruling party for the death.

“The mothers and sisters of Bengal should stand against the police with sticks and brooms just like the women of Sandeshkhali… Or else, it is impossible to fight the police that work like party workers,” said Chatterjee.

BJP sources said they will move court seeking a CBI investigation in the case on Tuesday.

Local TMC MLA Ajit Maity said, “The BJP candidate has lost his mind since he isn’t getting as much support from people as Dev (TMC Ghatal candidate). So, he is now talking nonsense. The BJP needs a body before every election and they are trying their best to politicise this one as well. As far as I know, his family was involved in some dispute and it could be a fallout of that. Let the police investigate.”