Kumarganj Candidate Manhandled by TMC: BJP

The BJP on Thursday alleged that its Kumarganj nominee Suvendu Sarkar was manhandled by Trinamool Congress supporters during polling in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections.

Sarkar was beaten up while he was going to a polling booth in the constituency after he came to know about chaos allegedly created by TMC activists near the voting centre.

The saffron party candidate was, however, attacked when he was walking to the school premises where the polling booth was set up, a local BJP leader said.

Sarkar, who had to run through the field with a lone security personnel to save himself, later told reporters that he was surrounded by goons and beaten up.

“I did not see any central force personnel during the incident,” he said.

Union Minister of State and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar condemned the incident, asserting that “those responsible will be duly punished after the BJP forms a Government in the State”.

The Kumarganj assembly segment is within the Balurghat Lok Sabha constituency in north Bengal.

Voting is underway on Thursday in 152 constituencies in the first phase of the West Bengal assembly elections.