West Bengal bypolls: Dinhata becomes a prestige fight for BJP

With five BJP MLAs already defecting to the Trinamool Congress, the BJP aims to retain the two seats Dinhata and Santipur, which it had won in 2021 assembly polls. Trinamool Congress, on the other hand, targets to bag all four seats. With that aim in sight, party national general secretary Abhisek Banerjee will campaign in Dinhata and other three constituencies next week. Abhisek Banerjee will campaign in Dinhata on October 25.

BJP leadership in Bengal claimed that they were prevented from campaigning in Dinhata. BJP candidate Ashok Mondol and senior leader Mihir Goswami were attacked and heckled by Trinamool workers during the campaign. BJP has demanded action by the Election Commission on the issue and a complaint has been filed with the Returning Officer.

Ashok Mondal, the BJP candidate for Dinhata assembly by-election, along with Natabari MLA Mihir Goswami were heckled during campaigning.

‘Yesterday, I accompanied BJP candidate Ashok Mondal in his campaign in Bamanhat. We were attacked by the Trinamool Congress miscreants in a peaceful campaign programme. A mob of around 150 attacked us. We went to a party worker’s house where we started discussion with them. But the miscreants attacked the party worker’s house,’ Mihir Goswami said.

The miscreants gave go back slogans as BJP campaigned and raised slogans for Trinamool candidate Udayan Guha.

Despite police personnel present there, Goswai complained of police inaction. ‘A couple of police personnel were present at the location near the house. But they were like mute spectators. They did not take any action to stop the miscreants. The miscreants abused us verbally,’ Goswami said.

Goswami demanded action against such acts of violence yesterday. The BJP polling agent has submitted its complaint to the Police Observer and General observer on the issue. ‘The people’s verdict in Dinhata will go against TMC. So, the Trinamool Congress party is unleashing violence on BJP workers,’ Goswami said.

Trinamool Congress did not comment on the matter. However, Trinamool has fielded Udayan Guha as its candidate, who was defeated by Nisith Pramanik, BJP Lok Sabha MP and Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs. Pramanik won with a margin of 57 votes and resigned from the MLA post and retained his MP seat, which necessitated the by-election in Dinhata.