The incidents come a day after the Model Code of Conduct came into effect following the announcement of the poll schedule. The 18th Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, across 42 constituencies.
According to reports, BJP alleged that its worker Jaideep Das (40) was assaulted by TMC supporters in Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency in Dakshin Dinajpur district.
The party’s state unit chief Sukanta Majumdar and MLA Satyendranath Roy met Das at a hospital in Gangarampur and assured him assistance. The BJP has decided to field Majumdar from Balurghat. He is the sitting MP from the seat.
“Another case of political violence reported from Gangarampur, under PS-Gangarampur, Dakshin Dinajpur district. All this is happening at the behest of Mamata Banerjee, who refuses to reign in criminals and instruct WB Police to act… A written complaint has already been filed at the Gangarampur police station. The EC must take urgent note of the deteriorating law and order in the state of West Bengal,” BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote on ‘X’ on Sunday.
Denying the allegations, West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “Things are very peaceful. I will request everyone to refrain from spreading wrong information.”
In the second incident reported from Paschim Bardahman, the BJP accused TMC workers of setting on fire a shop owned by one of its women leaders. The shop owned by Rina Thakur was located in Pandaveswar area of district. The incident took place around 2 am Saturday in Jamai Para area of Pandaveswar under Asansol Lok Sabha Constituency.
Thakur, who is the secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha’s Pandaveswar unit, alleged that TMC activists had been threatening her to leave the party since she joined BJP six months ago. “I was being threatened ever since I joined the BJP. My shop was set on fire on Saturday,” she said
Denying the allegations, the Trinamool claimed that there could be a personal grudge behind the incident. “I don’t think it is a political issue. Maybe, the incident was a fallout of a personal grudge,” said a TMC leader.
Meanwhile, candidates from different political parties hit the campaign trail and interacted with voters in their constituencies. TMC candidates and actors Sayani Ghosh and June Malia were seen campaigning in Jadavpur and Medinipur respectively.
According to TMC leaders, Malia will start campaigning in Egra from March 18 and would subsequently be touring Keshiyari, Dantan, Kharagpur and Medinipur.