KOLKATA: Violence returned in Bengal elections as BJP candidate in Karimpur Assembly constituency, Jay Prakash Majumdar, was assaulted allegedly by Trinamool Congress supporters on Monday when he was visiting polling booths during the by-polls. Majumdar, who is also the party’s vice president in Bengal, fell into a roadside ditch after one of the attackers kicked him.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had to rain baton to disperse the attackers. Majumdar alleged he was attacked by the ruling party’s supporters when he was going to a polling booth where voters were not allowed to cast their votes.
The Election Commission sought a report from the presiding officer of the booth.
Majumdar said he received a complaint that a group of 20 odd Trinamool supporters assembled in front of the polling booth at Pipulkhola and they were not allowing voters to cast their votes. "When started heading towards the booth, a group of Trinamool supporters surrounded me. They shoved me and one of them kicked me," he said.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the ruling party’s violence reflected their defeat in the by-elections. "They realised the people of West Bengal have made up their mind to overthrow the ruling party. This is why Trinamool supporters have brought back the violence that the state had witnessed during the Lok Sabha polls," he alleged.
By-elections are being held in three Assembly constituencies--Karimpur, Kaliaganj and Kharagpur(Sadar)--on Monday.