Kolkata Dec 26 (IANS): Tension prevailed at Nandigram in West Bengal's East Midnapore district since Thursday morning after the body of a local Trinamool Congress leader was recovered under mysterious circumstances.

The deceased has been identified as Mahadeb Bishoyi (52). He was an active local organisational member of the ruling party at Gokulnagar village panchayat under Nandigram-I block.

As the police reached the spot to recover the body, the local Trinamool Congress workers started a protest.

According to Trinamool Congress workers, the assailants picked up Dishoyi while he was returning home after closing his food stall in the locality.

After Dishoyi did not return home for the whole night, his family members and the local Trinamool Congress workers started looking for him.

Finally, his body, with several injury marks was recovered from the front of his food stall on Thursday morning.

The cops recovered Dishoyi's body and sent it for post-mortem.

Local Trinamool Congress leaders have alleged that those behind the murder of Dishoyi were actively associated with the BJP.

"Dishoyi was an active member of our party. The BJP activists have killed him out of vengeance. We are demanding strict punishment for those responsible for Dishoyi's murder.

However, BJP's West Bengal President and Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar has vehemently denied the allegations and claimed that the infighting in Trinamool Congress in Nandigram might have led to Dishoyi's killing.

"BJP does not believe in politics of vengeance. Let there be a proper investigation into the matter and let police nab the real culprits. This murder can be a result of infighting in the ruling party," Majumdar said.