Birbhum: BJP candidate from Labpur assembly constituency Debasis Ojha’s election agent, Biswajit Mandal, was allegedly attacked on April 23. He alleged that the attack was carried out by a mob of 100 to 150 people.
He claimed that he was “dragged out of the car” and assaulted by the mob with sticks and stones.
Talking to ANI, Biswajit Mandal said, “I rushed to Debasis Ojha’s locality in my constituency immediately upon receiving reports regarding a land dispute. Upon my arrival, a mob of 100 to 150 people surrounded me and vandalised my vehicle. They dragged me out of the car and assaulted me with sticks and stones, causing a head injury. Another BJP worker who was accompanying me also sustained injuries to his head and arm. I repeatedly attempted to contact the authorities and record the incident on video, but I received no response whatsoever. I somehow managed to escape with my life. The BJP came to my rescue and arranged for me to be admitted to a hospital.”
Condemning the incident, BJP Birbhum district president Uday Shankar Banerjee said the attack took place in a sensitive area and demanded strict administrative action.
“Labpur is a sensitive area. An incident happened there today. Our candidate, Debasis Ojha’s election agent, Biswajit Mandal, who is also the district vice-president, was attacked… The attack happened in the Bhromorkole area under the Sainthia block, under the leadership of the block president Tahir Ul Islam… We demand that the BDO and OC be immediately suspended as per ECI guidelines… We believe that the Sainthia PS OC, Nilotpal Misra, is in cahoots with the TMC,” Banerjee told ANI.
The incident has added to the ongoing political friction in West Bengal, with BJP leaders alleging administrative bias and demanding action against officials.
Earlier in the day, BJP candidate from Kumarganj Subhendu Sarkar claimed that he was injured and his car was vandalised by TMC workers who attacked him in his Assembly constituency.
Speaking with the media, Subhendu Sarkar alleged that agents in multiple polling stations were “forcibly removed”, and when he went to assess the situation on the ground at Booth No. 24, the TMC workers allegedly attacked him and his team.
He further alleged that the Central forces deployed at the station were not present during the attack.
“In the Kumarganj Assembly constituency, our polling agents in 8-10 polling stations were forcibly removed. I personally intervened and ensured they were allowed back inside. When I visited Booth No. 24 to inspect the situation on the ground, they launched an attack on my entire team and me; they were clearly intent on creating an atmosphere of intimidation and fear… Central Forces were present at the polling station itself–they were inside the premises. But when I arrived on the scene, I was accompanied only by my bodyguard; there was no one else with us,” he said.
Expressing infuriation and disappointment over the incident, Sarkar said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is acting out of “fear and desperation.”
“Mamata Banerjee has lost the election, and Trinamool Congress are losing all four seats in this region. Out of sheer desperation and fear, they launched an attack on us,” he asserted.
The clash comes amid a charged political atmosphere in West Bengal during the Assembly elections.
West Bengal, which has 294 Assembly seats with a majority mark of 148, is witnessing a high-stakes contest between the ruling TMC and the BJP, with both parties ramping up their campaigns in the final stretch before voting. (With inputs from ANI)
