KOLKATA: Clashes, attacks and recovery of arms and ammunition on Sunday marked West Bengal’s run-up to the fifth phase of polls scheduled for Saturday (April 17).
Most clashes were reported between Trinamool Congress and main opposition party BJP. The trend was broken in Malda, a traditional Congress turf, where a clash broke out between Congress and Trinamool supporters. Congress veteran Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury (Dalu), brother of late Gani Khan Choudhury, was attacked by “Trinamool goons” on the way back from a political meeting at Fulbaria in Manikchak assembly constituency.
Abu Hasem escaped without injury but Congress’ Manikchak candidate Mottakin Alam was targeted and his vehicle badly damaged in the attack allegedly led by Trinamool’s Jahidul Islam. Congress workers blocked roads across Malda district in protest. Abu Hasem said: “It was a planned attack on our lives by TMC goons.”
Trinamool denied any involvement in the incident, which was condemned by BJP. A visibly embarrassed Trinamool candidate, Sabitri Mitra, also a former minister, said: “It was an unwanted incident. We never endo- rse such attacks. I think our workers were not involved.”
A police team raided the spot following a complaint. No one has been arrested.
In Nadia, a BJP booth president at Bandowan in Hanskhali, Subho Saha, suffered serious injury after suspected Trinamool toughs attacked him on his way back from PM Narendra Modi’s rally at Krishnagar College ground on Saturday.
Another BJP worker, 30-year-old Tapas Sen, also returning from Modi’s meeting, was attacked with acid on the way back near Krishnagar church. Sen alleged that Trinamool goons attacked him.
On Sunday, a busy market at Bhagawatipur in Chanditala was shut following clashes between BJP and Trinamool supporters that began soon after Saturday’s polling ended. Six Trinamool and four BJP workers were injured in the incident. Traders shuttered shops to prevent the violence from spilling over into the market.
Angry BJP supporters allegedly pelted stones and brickbats at the house of a Trinamool panchayat member. A large police force was deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
North and South 24 Parganas saw the recovery of arms and ammunition. In North 24 Parganas, police and central forces recovered 34 bombs and 17 rounds of cartridges from the local club at Madral Joychanditala in ward 33 of Bhatpara Municipality. At Sardarpara and Natunpara areas under Fulmalancha GP limits, a long firearm, eight rounds of live cartridges and a number of crude bombs were recovered on Sunday when Basanti police were carrying out area domination and combing operations.