Kolkata, Nov 21 (IANS): A local Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday.

Deceased leader Viky Yadav was a loyalist of Saurav Singh, a local Trinamool leader and the nephew of Lok Sabha MP Arjun Singh.

According to local witnesses, three masked persons arrived in a motorcycle in front of Yadav’s residence and as he stepped out of the house, they fired at least 11 rounds of bullets at him from a close range.

He was immediately rushed to the nearby Bhatpara state General Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

Tension is prevailing in the area following the incident.

A huge police contingent has been deployed in the area.

Police are investigating the matter.

From the nature of assassination, a contract killer angle is surfacing in the matter. This is the third such incident in the state where a ruling party leader was assassinated in a similar pattern on the open streets.

On November 16, local Trinamool Congress leader and panchayat member Saifuddin Lashkar was assassinated in a similar manner at Jaynagar in South 24 Parganas district. His killing led to a "counter-lynching" of one person and as many as 16 houses of local CPI(M) workers were set on fire by the angry mob mainly consisting of Lashkar’s followers.

On November 17, Trinamool Congress panchayat chief Rupchand Mondal was assassinated following crude bomb attacks on him by unknown assassins.