Kolkata, Incidents of clashes between Trinamool Congress and BJP activists were reported from parts of West Bengal on Saturday, a day before the penultimate phase of Lok Sabha polls in the state.
Activists of the two parties clashed in East Midnapore district’s Egra after Trinamool supporters allegedly blocked state BJP President Dilip Ghosh’s convoy and agitated, accusing him of continuing the election campaign well after the deadline.
Local BJP leaders, however, claimed that Ghosh was returning after having lunch at a party activist’s house in the area.
Ghosh is contesting from the Midnapore Lok Sabha seat against Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha Member Manas Bhunia.
The incident took place two days after Ghosh’s car was attacked and vandalised by unidentified persons on its way back from the district Khejuri.
BJP leader and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma was with Ghosh during that attack.
A day before, Trinamool Congress and the saffron party workers had clashed during a meeting of former IPS officer and BJP candidate Bharati Ghosh in West Bengal’s Paschim Midnapore district, police said.
The police said two Trinamool workers were injured. But some unofficial sources said as many as 16 members belonging to the either party were injured in the clash on Friday evening.
The former Superintendent of Police of Bengal’s Jhargram district is taking on Bengali film star-cum-MP Deepak (Dev) Adhikari of the Trinamool Congress in the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency, which will go to polls on May 12.
“BJP workers along with Ghosh had gathered at a religious place in Baikunthapur on Friday. They were distributing articles, like sari and caps, when Trinamool workers chased them and a clash broke out,” said a police officer.
An FIR had been lodged against unknown persons and the articles being distributed had been seized, the police said.
A member of Asthal Nimbark Math, the religious place, said people had gathered for the evening prayers. But the situation became uneasy when Ghosh arrived around 7.40 p.m.
“All those who abused us, damaged our cars and threw stones were set free by the police. When I told them I was hurt as a stone hit me in the head, the police just told me to sit inside,” Ghosh alleged.
