Rival Trinamul Congress supporters clashed in the presence of the party’s Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha candidate, Kirti Azad, within the Durgapur Municipal Corporation area this morning, creating a situation of chaos. Mr Azad faced the unpleasant situation while campaigning in the minority-dominated Amrai village within the Ward: 12 of the DMC area as supporters of two rival INTTUC groups of the Durgapur Steel Plant led by Sheikh Sahabuddin and Sheikh Aminur Rehman scuffled in public.

The trouble broke out when Sheikh Manik, Sahabuddin’s aide, while trying to welcome Mr Azad with a floral bouquet, was pushed by Sheikh Aminur in front of the local Shankarananda temple. TMC’s block president Ujjawal Mukherjee also backed Sheikh Aminur. Sheikh Azimuddin, another Sahabuddin’s supporter, slapped Sheikh Aminur in retaliation, which further fuelled the chaos. A hapless Kirti Azad went into the temple and sat on the stairs clapping in the rhythm of the temple’s bell.

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The Sahabuddin and Aminur groups are at loggerheads after the INTTUC expelled Sahabuddin from the steel plant union and assigned Aminur the driver’s wheel. Other leaders rushed to the spot and accompanied Mr Azad for a walk. Mr Azad later said: “This was not at all a chaos, rather the situation was a result of over-enthusiasm among our supporters.” Mocking at the chaos, Dilip Ghosh-the BJP candidate for the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha seat, said: This is the beginning and many more odd and bizarre circumstances on the cards which he has to face and struggle against his own partymen.”

Mr Ghosh, while campaigning in Galsi-2 block of the constituency, about 30 km from Durgapur town, said: “It’s an irony of fate is that Kirti Azad will be busy handling squabbles within and would have less time to fight against Dilip Ghosh. The election will be over by the time he settles things in his party.” He added: “Age Party Samlaa, tarpore dekhbi Bangla (Handle your party first, then you may think about Bengal.” About Mr Ghosh’s remarks, Mr Azad said: “He should mind his own business as he has to sit with their cadres every now and then to resolve their own wrangles.”