Six policemen were injured on Monday when the Trinamool Congress men clashed with BJP workers at Usti in South 24 Parganas district in a bid to prevent them from filling nomination papers for the next month’s panchayat elections in West Bengal, police said.
Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court refused the plea of the BJP to extend the last date of the filing of nominations for the rural polls, saying it could not interfere with the election process.
The BJP had on Thursday moved the Supreme Court alleging that party candidates were not being allowed to file nomination papers for the upcoming panchayat polls and had sought the court’s help in the matter.
The top court, however, granted liberty to all candidates to approach the West Bengal State Election Commission for appropriate relief.
late at night, ANI reported that the State Election Office extended the last date for filing nominations till April 10. Earlier the last date to file nomination was April 9.
Earlier, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said, “If the TMC tries to unleash violence on the days of the polls, it will be paid back in the same coin. If they attack us with bombs and pistols, we won’t greet them with a plate of sweets.”
The BJP, the CPI(M) and the Congress alleged that their candidates were attacked by TMC activists also at Baruipur, Diamond Harbour and Bhangar — all in South 24 Parganas district.
In Baruipur, a woman candidate was beaten up while trying to file nomination for the rural polls.
ADGP (law and order) Anuj Sharma told reporters in Kolkata that five people were arrested for the assault on the woman, and seven others were detained in connection with the incident at Usti.
District police sources said six police personnel were injured while trying to stop the clash between workers of the TMC and the BJP, and one policeman suffered bullet injury in his left hand.
The BJP alleged that their party workers were attacked by “armed goons” of the Trinamool when they were going to file nominations.
Earlier, the TMC was considered to have won Birbhum district Zilla Parishad, with 41 seats out of 42 uncontested, as BJP could file papers from Rajnagar seat.
“We have no faith on the state police. Even our women candidates were beaten up and hundreds of our party workers were arrested,” he said.
Denying the BJP’s charges, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee said the Opposition parties did not have the organisation to fight the rural poll.
“Wherever they don’t have people to contest the election, they are blaming the TMC for the violence,” he said.
Chatterjee, also a State Minister, accused the Opposition parties of trying to destabilise the State and alleged that the BJP was trying to divide the people on communal line.
By moving the courts, the Opposition parties were trying to put pressure on the State Election Commission (SEC) that is conducting the panchayat polls, he said.
Chatterjee who met the State Election Commissioner during the day, said the commission should not bow down to any pressure.
The ADGP (law and order) said armed police would be deployed in all the polling booths during the three-tier panchayat election next month.
Asserting that police were playing a “proactive role” in ensuring free and fair polls, he said 2,000 preventive arrests have been made since Sunday and 256 were arrested in specific cases.
Ten arms and two bombs were recovered from separate places in the State, he said, adding that checking at various points were being strengthened.