From tearing of posters to clashes during election rally, Baranagar in West Bengal sees BJP–TMC showdown

Adequate police personnel were deployed in the Baranagar constituency in West Bengal following the clashes between BJP and TMC workers.

• TMC and BJP supporters clashed in Baranagar ahead of elections
• Police, central forces deployed to quell area tensions
• Polling in West Bengal Assembly set for April 23 and 29

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Tension prevailed in the Baranagar area in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Sunday after workers and supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Opposition BJP clashed with each other ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

According to police, the incident occurred at the Tobin Road crossing in Baranagar over alleged tearing of campaign posters and hoardings. Initially, there were arguments, but it later turned into a fight, with both parties resorting to sloganeering and blaming each other for the violence.

In Baranagar, the TMC has fielded Sayantika Bandyopadhyay, while the BJP nominee is Sajal Ghosh. The incident sparked tensions in the constituency, forcing the police and central forces to intervene. The security personnel, however, had a tough time controlling the situation as hundreds of supporters of the BJP and the TMC had gathered there.

Central forces and police personnel had to be adequately deployed in the area to bring the situation under control.

Sayantika Banerjee, the candidate TMC has fielded from Baranagar, said she was campaigning in her constituency when the BJP cadres brought "outsiders and anti-social elements" to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere and and assaulted party workers.

"They brought people from outside and assaulted us. They were not from Baranagar. People of Baranagar will give a reply to this. BJP knows that it will lose," said Banerjee, who accused the saffron party workers of assaulting a handicapped person.

However, the BJP refuted the allegations and claimed that the TMC workers had attacked its supporters. Party candidate Sajal Ghosh alleged that TMC supporters led by Bandyopadhyay had torn posters and hoardings put up by the BJP for campaigning and tried to intimidate party supporters.

"They (TMC) attacked us last year also... We will not tolerate this anymore," Ghosh told reporters.

Following the clashes on Saturday, an altercation between supporters of the ruling TMC and opposition BJP was reported in Baranagar again on Sunday as both parties took out a rally.

The incident occurred when a BJP rally was passing by the G L T Road area, two hours after a TMC roadshow, a senior police official said, adding that central forces managed to pacify both sides.

According to news agency PTI, one of the TMC workers alleged that they were standing peacefully by the roadside when some of the people participating in the BJP rally charged towards them and assaulted them. "BJP candidate Sajal Ghosh has brought in outsiders to foment trouble,” said the worker.

Ghosh, on the other hand, said, “Some TMC functionaries, holding their party flags, tried to disrupt our procession and made objectionable comments. Our supporters naturally protested and countered."

Ghosh, accompanied by Union minister and former BJP President Sukanta Majumdar and BJP’s Maniktala candidate Tapas Roy, led the BJP rally which went through several parts of the constituency.

TMC’s sitting candidate Bandyopadhyay and the party’s MP Saugata Roy were at the forefront of the TMC rally attended by thousands of supporters.

“Ghosh and other BJP leaders and activists are trying to turn the peaceful Baranagar into a turbulent zone. Whenever Sajal Ghosh visits Baranagar, he instigates trouble as he is sure of losing the seat. Today’s overwhelming response in the rally testifies that people are with us,” Bandyopadhyay had said in the rally.

Reacting to the clashes between BJP and TMC workers, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said, "Mamata Banerjee is trying to create obstructions. TMC thinks that they will be able to scare us by doing all this, but they are wrong. With every attack, BJP will emerge stronger."

Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases: April 23 and 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 4.