Tension prevailed in North 24-Parganas’ Bagdah constituency on Tuesday morning after a vehicle in the convoy of BJP candidate Soma Thakur was hit by a speeding motorcycle, triggering a political slugfest ahead of the first phase of Assembly elections on 23 April.
BJP
Tension prevailed in North 24-Parganas’ Bagdah constituency on Tuesday morning after a vehicle in the convoy of BJP candidate Soma Thakur was hit by a speeding motorcycle, triggering a political slugfest ahead of the first phase of Assembly elections on 23 April.
The incident occurred at Aramdanga in Sundarpur when Thakur was on her way to a public outreach programme. According to BJP sources, a motorcycle coming from behind rammed into one of the vehicles in her convoy with considerable force, severely damaging the rear portion of the car and shattering its window panes. Though Thakur escaped unhurt, the impact of the collision sparked panic among party workers accompanying her. BJP supporters soon gathered at the spot and staged a protest, alleging that the incident was a “pre-planned attack” aimed at targeting the candidate.
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Thakur claimed she was the intended target. “The vehicle was stationary when it was hit. This was not an accident but a deliberate attempt to attack me,” she alleged, holding the ruling Trinamul Congress responsible for the incident. BJP workers further alleged that the motorcycle rider was in an inebriated state and was wearing a TMC T-shirt, suggesting political motives behind the act. The Trinamul Congress, however, rejected the allegations outright. Party leader Inayak Mondal termed the charges “baseless” and accused the BJP of attempting to gain political mileage.
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“Trinamul Congress cannot be involved in such acts. These allegations are being made only to remain in the headlines during the campaign,” he said. Police have initiated an investigation into the incident to ascertain the sequence of events.
According to police sources, the motorcycle rider has been detained for questioning. Preliminary information suggests that the youth is a resident of Jharkhand and works at a local brick kiln. The incident comes amid rising political tensions in the state as campaigning intensifies for the upcoming elections. With 152 seats going to polls in the first phase, including several constituencies in North Bengal, such flashpoints are adding to the already charged atmosphere.
Police officials said further action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
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