Tension gripped West Bengal’s Gangasagar early Wednesday after a BJP worker was shot at by two assailants on a motorcycle near a bus stand. According to police sources, Trilokesh Dhali sustained gunshot wounds to his chest.

According to witnesses, the two men shot Dhali around 8 am near the Sridham Bus Stand, under the jurisdiction of the Gangasagar Coastal Police Station, and fled the scene. Local residents rushed him to Sagar Rural.

“He was transferred from the local hospital to Kolkata. He is critical but under treatment at the hospital,” said a local police officer.

While the attackers’ identity remains unclear, Dhali’s family alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC)-backed attackers are behind the shooting.

The exact motive behind the shooting is still unknown, but the injured worker’s son, Trideep, cited a possible political motive, as Dhali was seen as a potential BJP candidate in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

The Gangasagar police said they have launched an investigation into the matter, and are currently searching for the culprits to determine the actual cause of the attack.