West Bengal Assembly Elections | Once an abode of peace, Birbhum is now a hub of political row

High stakes in Birbhum as a resurgent BJP challenges Trinamool in its stronghold

On April 5, hundreds of Trinamool activists gathered at the subdivisional office in Bolpur, Birbhum. They brought along with them brass bands and vehicles decked with balloons as State Minister Chandranath Sinha filed his nomination for Bolpur. All COVID-19 safety norms were cast aside even as scores of police personnel stood outside the SDO office. The pomp and show at the nomination centre, where a few hours later the BJP candidate also arrived, was in sharp contrast to the rural elections held three years ago when no candidate of the Opposition was able to file nomination papers in the area.