Tension escalated in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on polling day after clashes broke out between Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers and supporters of Humayun Kabir, who had earlier parted ways with the party.
According to reports, the confrontation turned chaotic, with both sides engaging in a scuffle during voting. Security personnel deployed at the site were also caught in the unrest, with incidents of jostling and pushing reported, raising fresh concerns over law and order.
Violence Follows Poll-Eve Blast Near Nawda Booth
The unrest comes just a day after a late-night bomb blast near a polling booth in the Nawda Assembly constituency triggered panic among residents.
The explosion took place in the Shibnagar area, close to Shibnagar Primary School, a designated polling station. Locals said several crude bombs were hurled on a nearby road, apparently to spread fear ahead of voting.
Questions Over Security After Blast Near Booth
The incident drew sharp scrutiny due to its proximity, barely 50 metres, to the polling station, despite the deployment of central forces. A woman was injured in the blast and is currently in stable condition.
TMC candidate Sahina Mumtaz Khan, who was nearby at the time, alleged that she was the intended target. She questioned how such an attack could occur so close to a polling booth under security cover.
The Trinamool Congress blamed supporters of the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), led by Humayun Kabir, for the incident. Party MP Abu Taher Khan also accused CPI(M) and AJUP-backed miscreants of orchestrating the attack to intimidate voters.
Police and central forces reached the site soon after the explosion and stepped up patrols. Officials said the situation was brought under control, with heightened vigilance maintained ahead of polling. Sahina Mumtaz Khan was not injured.