Sources said the incident occurred shortly prior to a Trinamul rally with an eye on next year’s panchayat polls at Charka village under Keshpur police station
Biplab Chowdhury filed a public interest case in Calcutta High Court in 2017. Last Monday, his lawyer Shamim Ahmed showed a list of 19 leaders-ministers of Bengal along with their movable and immovable assets in the High Court. From 2011 to 2016, the property of these 19 people has increased enormously.
The car of BJP’s Keshpur candidate Pritish Ranjan Konar, along with three vehicles of media persons, were attacked by stones, brickbats and sticks allegedly by Trinamul supporters at Baruna village under the constituency in West Midnapore on Thursday.
Keshpur was one of the 30 Assembly constituencies that went to polls on phase two of Bengal elections.
Police have arrested nine persons in this regard. The Election Commission sought a detailed report on the incident.
BJP sources said Konar, who is pitted against Trinamul’s Shiuli Saha in Keshpur, was told in the morning that Trinamul workers had captured a booth in Gunara village of Keshpur. He was headed there when he was allegedly waylaid by 40-odd Trinamul workers near Baruna.
Mamata Banerjee criticised the Election Commission’s “inaction” on a day voting was marked by two deaths, sporadic violence, complaints of electoral malpractices and a high turnout, while the BJP welcomed the “free and fair” polling.
By 5pm on Thursday, some 80.43 per cent polling had been recorded in the 30 seats spread across four districts that voted in the second phase of the eight-phase Bengal Assembly polls.
“Since voting will continue till 6.30pm, the figure is expected to rise. The turnout is on the higher side; normally 80-82 per cent polling is seen in these areas,” a senior government official said.