BJP activist shot dead in West Bengal’s Bhatpara in post-poll violence

A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was shot dead in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Sunday night. Chandan Shaw, 24, was shot dead by unidentified assailants last night while he was driving a two-wheeler while returning home around 10.30 pm. The incident took place at Kalitala area in ward no 7, under Jagaddal police station limits. According to reports, four miscreants on two bike came and stopped him. One of them fired from close range. Shaw was rushed to Bhatpara state general hospital where he was declared brought dead. Just before the elections, he had switched over to the BJP from the Trinamool Congress.

On Sunday, Forest Minister Binay Krishna Burman's convoy was attacked by those allegedly belonging to the BJP following which he was rescued by police who rushed to the place, police said.

Violent incidents were also reported from Dinhata in Coochbehar, Paharpur in Jalpaiguri and Gangarampur Dakshin Dinajpur, sources in the state police department said. Security has been deployed in the area and the investigations have begun. 

The state has seen lot of poll violence. The BJP bagged almost three times the election duty votes that the TMC got in West Bengal, Election Commission data has shown, indicating the state government employees chose the saffron party over the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit, who not long ago compared them to barking dogs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party received 73,541 votes through postal ballots as compared to the Trinamool Congress which got only 25,791 votes. The Left Front got around 7,377 votes, the Congress about 5,770 votes and there were 5,143 NOTA votes. The state government employees and security personnel deployed in election duty cast their votes through postal ballots.

On Friday, a 23-year-old BJP worker has been shot dead in Nadia district, the had police said. The incident happened at Chakdaha town around 10 pm. Santu Ghosh (23), a resident of Tapaban area in Chakdaha town was shot at from a close range after he went out of his house following a phone call, he said. He was taken to Chakdaha State General Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, he added.

As a result, BJP leaders and workers staged a road blockade on National Highway 34, the police officer said. They blocked railway tracks at various places in Nadia district on Saturday to protest against the killing of their party worker, he said. An investigation has been initiated, the police officer said.