BJP candidate attacked during polling in penultimate phase in West Bengal

Pranat Tudu, the BJP candidate from Jhargram, was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters at Garbeta.

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate was attacked and another nominee was gheraoed on Saturday during the penultimate phase of election in West Bengal across eight Lok Sabha constituencies spread across the southern part of the State.

Across the eight seats the cover five districts, 77.99% turnout was reported till 5 p.m. Bishnupur, a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, registered 81.47% polling while Purulia, a seat reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, recorded the lowest voting of 74.09%. Tamluk seat witnessed 79.79% polling and Kanthi registered 75.66% turnout. Polling in Jhargram was 79.68% and Ghatal registered 78.42% turnout. In Medinipur, 77.57% people exercised their franchise while Bankura registered 76.79% polling.

Pranat Tudu, the BJP candidate from Jhargram, was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters at Garbeta. The mob pelted stones on the vehicle of the BJP candidate and a security personnel deployed in Mr. Tudu’s security sustained head injury. Mr. Tudu and a personnel of the central armed police forces deployed in his security were seen running away from the mob.

Chaos reigned in the area for almost an hour and there was no intervention of quick response teams of the Election Commission. Vehicles of media personnel were also attacked at Garbeta. The BJP candidate said he was getting reports of electoral malpractices and a section of local residents were threatening the voters of the party since Friday night. Yet, when he visited the area, he was attacked by Trinamool supporters. “If security forces personnel were not present, the people would have lynched me,” Mr. Tudu said.

Another BJP candidate, Hiran Chatterjee, who is contesting from Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency, also faced protests by Trinamool supporters in Keshpur area of the constituency who surrounded his vehicles and raised slogans. Mr. Chatterjee, who raised the demand for re-polling in Keshpur, said the region had turned into a “Pakistan or Afghanistan” during the polling.

There were reports of protests by ruling party supporters against BJP candidates of Tamluk, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, and BJP candidate from Medinipur Agnimitra Paul. While places like Garbeta and Keshpur, which have a history of electoral violence remained on the boil, polling was peaceful at Nandigram, which had witnessed political violence earlier this week resulting in the murder of a 56-year-old woman BJP supporter.

Trinamool Congress supporter killed