TMC candidate chased by goons in Arambagh

  Arambagh : Clashes erupted between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Arambagh during the third phase of the West...

 

Arambagh : Clashes erupted between Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Arambagh during the third phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls on Tuesday.

The TMC candidate from Arambagh constituency Sujata Mondal Khan accused BJP workers of threatening and misbehaving with the women voters in the Arandi area.

Sujata said, "In Arandi-I area there, are minority and scheduled caste voters who love Mamata Banerjee. BJP goons threatened, tortured and misbehaved with women voters last night. They (BJP) did this because they know that these people will vote for me."

"At booth no 45 in Batanal, despite pressing the symbol all the votes are going to the BJP. In Arandi, our workers have been beaten up. They (BJP) are thinking that by creating violence they will get the Arambagh seat but they are mistaken. I am the kind of person who does not fear death," added Sujata.

The TMC leader also alleged that the CRPF is acting on behalf  of the BJP.

Among the two women candidates, Sujata Mondal was attacked, chased allegedly by the BJP supporters wielding bamboo sticks, and her securitymen received severe head injuries. Certain visuals showed Sujata running through the fields of Arandi chased by men with sticks and rods.

"I feel sad when I see the CRPF is not working neutrally. They have become agents of the BJP and asking people to vote for the BJP," Sujata said.

A total of 31 Assembly constituencies in districts including eight in Hooghly, seven in Howrah and 16 in South 24 Parganas went to the polls in phase-III on April 6. There are 205 candidates in the fray of which only 13 are women candidates contesting in this phase, just six per cent.

In the Arambagh constituency, TMC has fielded Sujata Mondal Khan against the CPI(M)'s Sakti Mohan Malik and the BJP's Madhusudhan Bag. Interestingly Sujata is the wife of BJP MP Saumitra Khan. Sujata joined the TMC ahead of the state Assembly polls, following which her husband Saumitra sent her divorce papers.

Expressing concern over the attack, Mamata Banerjee at a rally in North Bengal, said “Our Scheduled Caste candidate Sujata was attacked when she visited a booth. In Canning East, our candidate Shaukat Mollah not allowed to enter a booth by the security forces. There are innumerable instances of attacks on our candidates and party workers across the state.”