If you don’t live in West Bengal, chances are you don’t think of Bengalis as a violent people. Argumentative, pretentious and perhaps a bit too loquacious, but usually reluctant to use their fists.

When it comes to politics in West Bengal though, violence seems to be the currency of choice for political parties. For years, the CPI(M) was accused of intimidation and violence of voters as well as Opposition cadre. This election cycle, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken up the mantle with vigour. Every phase of polling has been accompanied by open violence, either by “unknown persons” or TMC party workers.

So what is it about West Bengal that makes its politics so violent? Over casual conversations with politicians, political analysts and journalists in Kolkata, this reporter was able to pick up three theories that try to explain political violence and the politics of violence in Bengal.