Bhabanipur bypoll: BJP and TMC workers clash during campaign; cavalcade of Dilip Ghosh attacked

Dilip Ghosh`s path was blocked by some Trinamool supporters and he was pushed to the side of the road near JaduBabur Bazar (Jadu Babu`s Market) in the Bhabanipur area where he was campaigning for September 30 bypolls.

Image credit: ANI

Kolkata: Tension escalated in the south Kolkata area, on the last day of the election campaign for the Bhabanipur assembly seat bypoll, ahead of the September 30 elections.

Trinamool Congress supporters allegedly physically harassed former BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh while he was campaigning for Priyanka Tibrewal who is pitted against Mamata Banerjee on Monday (September 27).

Ghosh`s path was blocked by some Trinamool supporters and he was pushed to the side of the road near JaduBabur Bazar (Jadu Babu`s Market) in Bhabanipur area where he was campaigning for September 30 bypolls.

The supporters started shouting "Joy Bangla" - a slogan coined by Mamata Banerjee to counter BJP`s "Jai Shri Ram" - and shouted at him to go back.

The tension led to a scuffle between the personal security guards of Ghosh and the Trinamool Congress supporters and the guards were seen pointing their guns to disperse the crowd.

Ghosh was cordoned off and taken away from the place. One BJP supporter was wounded in the scuffle.

West Bengal | Several BJP workers injured in an alleged clash at a bypoll campaign in Kolkata. "TMC govt including CM Mamata Banerjee are intolerant, not allowing us to campaign. TMC hooligans tortured our workers,beat them. Decide before you vote on Sep 30..," Agnimitra Paul,BJP pic.twitter.com/HkfrpSZfBE

— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2021

Speaking to the media, Dilip Ghosh, national vice-president of the party said, "Look this is the situation of West Bengal. They will not allow anyone to campaign even. I was pushed and beaten because I came here to campaign in favour of our candidate. There is no democracy in the state. We shall give a formal complaint".

Reacting to the clash between BJP & TMC workers, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari told ANI: “Situation is very critical & Election Commission is not doing anything. A team of our party met them in Delhi & here also (in Kolkata) our delegation had met them many times but EC hasn't taken any action till now.” 

However, Election Commission has asked the state government to submit a report over Bhabanipore (in West Bengal) ruckus today by 4 pm. Trinamool Congress has not reacted to the incident yet.

(With agency inputs)