Bengal polls: BJP candidate thrashed in Diamond Harbour, 2 arrested

A BJP candidate and his supporters were allegedly thrashed in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas during their election campaign on Friday morning, police said.

BJP's Diamond Harbour candidate Dipak Halder was campaigning in the Haridebpur area around 9.30 am when his supporters got engaged in a war of words with a few people, they said.

Amid the verbal duel, Halder and his supporters were allegedly thrashed with sticks, police said.

Halder, a TMC MLA who joined the BJP ahead of the elections, was admitted to a hospital following the attack.

"He complained of chest pain and other problems. He is being attended by the doctors," a senior police officer said.

Halder's injured supporters were also admitted to the hospital, he said.

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the attack, police said.

The BJP alleged that the TMC was behind the attack, a charge dismissed by the ruling party.

The TMC claimed that the attack on the BJP candidate was a result of infighting as the party's old-timers were not happy with Halder's candidature.

Following the attack, BJP supporters also blocked the National Highway 117 but were promptly removed by the police.

Diamond Harbour is also the Lok Sabha constituency of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.