The Centre has asked the West Bengal Government to strictly ensure law and order situation amidst reports of intermittent clashes between Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) workers. Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters in New Delhi that he spoke to the Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee and impressed upon him that whatever be the cause of the inter-party clashes, it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. <br/>He was replying to questions on yesterday's clashes between workers of CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress in Hooghly district and whether the Centre was seeking any report from the state government. Ahead of the assembly by-polls in ten constituencies on 7th November, the state has been witnessing sporadic clashes between Trinamool and CPI(M) activists.<br/>