TMC crowds blocking Suvendu Adhikari caned as CAPF swing batons
The Statesman | 29 April 2026
A tense face-off unfolded in Bhabanipur on Wednesday as Leader of Opposition and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari alleged he was surrounded and targeted by Trinamool Congress supporters while inspecting a polling booth during the ongoing Assembly elections.
The confrontation comes at a crucial stage of polling across 142 constituencies, widely viewed as a decisive phase for South Bengal and Kolkata, where the Trinamool Congress traditionally holds sway.
Adhikari, who is contesting from Bhabanipur and Nandigram, claimed that the group confronting him were “not voters but outsiders”.
“I am visiting the booth. These are not voters but outsiders,” he told reporters at the spot, as sloganeering intensified around him.
According to inputs from the ground, the flashpoint began when Adhikari reached a polling booth in Bhabanipur to inspect arrangements. A group of Trinamool Congress supporters soon gathered around him, raising slogans of “Jai Bengal” and blocking his movement.
As he made his way out, the BJP leader responded with counter-slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Hindu Hindu bhai bhai”.
Speaking to reporters shortly after, Adhikari claimed, “These are not voters but outsiders… they are all Bangladeshi Muslims… they are scared. Mamata will be wiped out.”
Security personnel deployed at the site intervened soon after. Central forces resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Adhikari later alleged that such incidents would not affect his prospects. “Such hooliganism will just help to increase my polling margin,” he said, adding that higher turnout would strengthen his chances in Bhabanipur.
However, TMC leader Kajori Banerjee rejected the allegations, claiming that polling was proceeding peacefully until Adhikari’s arrival and accusing him of provoking the situation.
Bhabanipur was not the only flashpoint. In Khanakul, clashes were reported between BJP and TMC polling agents at booths 147 and 148 of Ramchandrapur Adarsha Bidyabhaban. Security forces later brought the situation under control.
In Nadia district’s Hatra Bazaar area, tension flared near a polling booth set up at a primary school, where workers of the Trinamool Congress and the ISF reportedly clashed. Police confirmed that several individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Congress candidate Ashif Khan alleged that TMC supporters were intimidating voters in parts of Chapra constituency.
Elsewhere, heightened security arrangements were visible in sensitive pockets such as Bhangar, where central forces, state police and the NIA team maintained close surveillance.
Despite scattered incidents, polling continued under tight security across the state. According to the Election Commission of India, voter turnout stood at 39.97 per cent till 11 am.
Purba Bardhaman recorded the highest turnout at 44.50 per cent, followed by Hooghly at 43.12 per cent. Kolkata North and Kolkata South reported 38.39 per cent and 36.78 per cent turnout respectively, while Nadia saw 40.34 per cent voting.
The second phase covers 142 of the state’s 294 seats, with over 3.21 crore voters eligible to cast their ballots. A total of 1,448 candidates, including 220 women, are in the fray across more than 41,000 polling stations.
The electoral contest in West Bengal is primarily between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, with this phase seen as a key test in the ruling party’s strongholds.
Results for the Assembly elections will be declared on May 4.