West Bengal: Opp parties complain about violence, FIR registered against BJP's Barrackpore candidate Arjun Singh

1.Scuffle between security forces and TMC MP

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2.BJP worker badly injured

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3.Scuffle between TMC and BJP

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4.The prestige battle for Barrackpore

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In Barrackpore, BJP's bahubali candidate Arjun Singh was allegedly attacked in the morning. In Amtala's Mohanpur, a woman reached out to Arjun saying her son who is a BJP polling candidate couldn't be found and could not enter the polling booth She alleged that TMC workers are threatening that they will be murdered after May 23. Immediately Arjun Singh helped find out the polling agent named Tapas Das and made him sit in the booth. Soon,TMC cadres came rushing in and scuffle ensured in which Arjun Singh got injured, according to Zee Media inputs. He had a cut on his lip after a scuffle with TMC supporters.

TMC on their part have alleged that BJP workers under Arjun Singh were trying ti intimidate voters and even roughed up a flower seller.

 

Among the seven seats in Bengal, which are going to polls in the fifth phase on 6th May, BJP is most hopeful about Barrackpore. In this fledgling industrial belt, BJP has fielded bahubali candidate Arjun Singh, who till recently was with TMC. Arjun Singh left the party after being denied ticket and the Bhatpara MLA promptly joined BJP and has vowed to defeat current TMC MP Dinesh Trivedi.

Former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi who has had an on-off relationship with his party owes partial credit of his victories in 2009 and 2014 to his then election agent Arjun Singh. With robust man management skills, Singh ensured support for TMC in what used to be a complete Left bastion. The Left cadre shifted to TMC and ensured that the party ruled the roost in Barrackpore which is located in North 24 Pargana District, just outside Kolkata. 

Mamata Banerjee has termed Arjun Singh as gaddar whereas in the campaign trail, PM Modi said that 40 TMC MLAs are in contact with them. There is no doubt that Arjun Singh's victory will embolden several of them to take the plunge to the saffron party. That's why fight for Barrackpore is so crucial, as it can become a turning point in Bengal politics. Largely cosmopolitan Barrackpore has around 35-40% Hindi-speaking population and BJP will be hoping Arjun Singh will get most of them. There is also a 15% minority votebank which will be solidly standing besides TMC. 

The assembly segments under Barrackpore are  Amdanga, Bijpur, Naihati, Bhatpara, Jagatdal, Noapara, and Barrackpur. TMC currently holds all the assembly seats but it is unlikely to be smooth sailing on 6th May. It will surely lose votes in Bhatpara and Battackpur. Arjun Singh's close relative Sunil Singh is TMC MLA from Noapara. Mukul Roy's son Subhrangshu is TMC MLA from Bijpur. How well the party cadres will work there is doubtful and is keeping TMC leadership tensed. However, the party is hopeful of big lead from Amdanga where there is a significant proportion of minority voters. 

Historically, CPI(M) have won the seat nine times. Out of these, Tarit Baran Topdar, CPI(M)'s strongman from Barrackpore won six times at a stretch from 1989-2004. His juggernaut was broken by TMC's non-Bengali face Dinesh Trivedi in 2009 when he won by 56,000 votes. Dinesh Trivedi tightened his grip significantly in 2014, when he won against CPI(M)'s Subhashini Ali by 2.07 lakh votes. CPI(M)'s Gargi Chatterjee and Congress Md. Alam are also in the fray. 

5.Arjun Singh had run-in with police on Sunday

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On Sunday, Arjun Singh lost his cool when he reached Halishahar to meet a BJP worker whose house was vandalised. Arjun Singh asked policemen that what they were doing and how such incident could happen, reports Zee 24 Ghanta. 

BJP workers too lost their cool and virtually a scuffle started with police there as they tried to protest against inaction of securitymen. 

Today, Arjun Singh is alleging that police was present there when TMC workers roughed him up. 

6.Bangaoan BJP candidate lands in controvery

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Bangaon BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur who had a car accident on Saturday has landed into controversy. He was seen voting wearing scarf carrying BJP party symbol. 

On Saturday, BJP had accused TMC of being behind the attack on Shantanu Thakur. TMC denied it and claimed Shantanu Thakur was carrying huge amount of cash in the car. 

While the car was badly damaged, Shantanu received minor wounds on his head. 

7.Hooghly BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee loses cool

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Hooghly BJP candidate Locket Chatterjee lost her cool during voting. She got into quarrel with the presiding officer over election procedure. In Mallikpur's 235 number booth, Locket caught hold of 4-5 men, who initially claimed that they were TMC agents. Later they couldn't show any concrete proof and Locket has alleged that they are fake voters.