Political tensions flared in Cooch Behar after Raju Dey, a Trinamul Congress (TMC) leader and karmadhaksha of the Cooch Behar II panchayat samiti, sustained bullet injuries in a late-night attack at Chakchaka on Thursday.
In protest, TMC workers staged a road blockade on the route connecting Tufanganj and took out a massive rally today, accusing the BJP of orchestrating the attack.
TMC’s Cooch Behar district president, Abhijit Dey Bhowmik, made serious allegations, claiming that CCTV footage revealed the assailants used a black SUV allegedly owned by BJP MLA Sukumar Roy of Cooch Behar Uttar constituency. “I never expected that the MLA’s vehicle would be used to carry out an attack on our party leader, and that his son would lead the assailants,” Bhowmik told reporters.
Raju Dey, currently recovering in a private hospital, echoed the charges. Speaking from his hospital bed, he said locals had recently prevented MLA Sukumar Roy from entering Chakchaka due to public resentment over his failure to bring development. “I was with the people that day. As I returned from the party office last night, a group of armed miscreants suddenly opened fire at me,” Dey said, adding that he was relieved the MLA’s son had been arrested by police.
According to family sources, Raju Dey narrowly escaped but suffered bullet injuries on his hand.
In a sharp rebuttal, MLA Sukumar Roy denied all allegations, calling them politically motivated. “TMC knows it can’t win the Cooch Behar Uttar seat in the 2026 Assembly elections, so they are trying to malign my image. But their plan will fail,” he said.
Questioning the evidence, Roy added, “How can they say my car was involved? Have they seen the number plate? Many people in this area own black Scorpios.”
He further alleged that the attack on Raju Dey may have stemmed from internal disputes within the TMC, claiming Dey had recently clashed with members of his own party over personal matters.
Police are investigating the incident. Meanwhile, the political battle in Cooch Behar appears to be intensifying, with both parties trading serious charges ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.