BJP leader's house ransacked in Bengal, party files complaint against Trinamool Congress workers

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday filed a complaint against All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) supporters for allegedly ransacking party's Hooghly Lok Sabha candidate Locket Chatterjee's rented house in Bandel, Kolkata. According to reports, a group of unknown miscreants ransacked Chatterjee's Bandel residence in the heart of West Bengal capital this morning.

Photos accessed by the media show electronic gadgets, furniture and other vandalised staffs lying here and there. The house was taken on rent for the ease of campaigning for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections slated for April-May. Hooghly is scheduled to go to polls in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 6.

"Hooghly, West Bengal: BJP files a complaint with the police against TMC supporters for allegedly ransacking the rented residence of BJP's Hooghly Lok Sabha candidate Locket Chatterjee," the news agency ANI reported.

Hooghly, West Bengal: BJP files a complaint with the police against TMC supporters for allegedly ransacking the rented residence of BJP's Hooghly Lok Sabha candidate Locket Chatterjee https://t.co/cm4UrLJ1ls

— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2019

Speaking to media, Chatterjee said, "Some men have been lingering around my house for some days now. Yesterday I confronted them and threatened to click their photographs, after which they fled. My house was vandalised this morning while I was out for campaigning," adding that she will approach the Election Commission regarding the incident.

However, the Trinamool Congress has denied its involvement in the incident, saying, it is a conspiracy of the BJP to blame us as they are scared of losing these elections. Giving another edge to the occurrence, Tapan Dasgupta, Trinamool Congress Hooghly District Chief, pointed at the infighting within the BJP over Chatterjee’s candidature from Hooghly.

There have been hush talks for a quite some time that some members in the BJP are not happy with Chatterjee's candidature from the Hooghly Lok Sabha seat and, therefore, this can be considered as one of the reasons behind the attack on Chatterjee's house.

In a similar incident, Samik Bhattacharya, the BJP nominee from the Dum Dum Lok Sabha seat, was attacked and his central election working office was allegedly ransacked by the Trinamool Congress workers. Chandi Charan Rai, the general secretary, BJP Kolkata North Suburban District was also allegedly beaten up by unknown miscreants and was rushed to a nearby hospital.

These incidents come a day after isolated incidents of violence, road blockades, bombings and police firing marred the second phase of Lok Sabha elections at three parliamentary constituencies - Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Raiganj in West Bengal. It is Raiganj which reported the maximum incidents of violence from its Chopra and Islampur areas.

Police fired in the air and burst tear gas shells to control a mob, who threw stones at them. Bombs were also hurled by unknown miscreants in Chopra. A reporter and a camera person of a local news channel were allegedly manhandled when they went to cover polling at Kataphulbari in the Raiganj constituency.

Keeping in mind the security measures, the Election Commission had deployed 194 companies of central forces to cover 80 per cent of the over 5,000 booths in the three Lok Sabha seats which went to polls on April 18.

The remaining constituencies will go to polls in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh phase of General Elections on April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.