Despite ‘planned and intense’ violence, Burdwan (East) recorded filing of 55 nominations by the BJP and 28 by the CPI-M for gram panchayat seats, while the Trinamool Congress filed 37 fresh nominations.

For Samiti seats, the CPI-M and BJP filed 7 and 17 nominations respectively, while nine were filed by the Trinamul Congress. The BJP filed nine nominations for zilla parishad seats.The Burdwan police booked six Trinamul Congress backed goons on charges of intimidation and terror. In Sonamukhi of Bankura, three policemen suffered injuries as armed BJP cadres unleashed attack on them when they went to pacify the partymen who squatted on the road at Nafardanga crossing to mark protest against Trinamul Congress sponsored terror preventing their access to the block office.

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A group of armed men stormed into the BJP’s central office at Natungunj locality in Bankura town, where the assailants beat up the BJP leaders and cadres and ransacked the party office and four motorbikes.

Party’s district president Vivekananda Patra alleged: “The goons were assigned by the Trinamul Congress and they continued unleashing reign of terror across the district and none of our party men could file nominations today.”

The district Trinamul Congress president, Mr Arup Khan, refuted the charges and claimed: “The attack on their office was a result of their internal feud.” The BJP organised blockade on the NH-60 at Onda alleging that their candidates couldn’t file nomination due to Trinamul Congress’s obstruction. Similar allegations were raised by the party at Gangajalghanti, Barjora.

In the midst of repeated charges of violence brought by the BJP and the CPI-M, Sonamukhi witnessed a bizarre political scene this afternoon when local Trinamul Congress leader Braja Adhikari deserted the party, accepting the charges.

He said: “I never expected such type of nuisance and anarchy and sincerely felt to discontinue immediately.” The CPI-M meanwhile gheraoed the Sonamukhi police station alleging that the police was deliberately failing to protect the Opposition members when the Trinamul Congress backed goons were unleashing terror.

In Burdwan (East), a BJP assigned proposer Bablu Ruidas suffered injuries on his neck in Galsi-I block office while trying to assist a party candidate. He was taken to the Burdwan Medical College & Hospital in critical condition.

The CPI-M alleged terror in Bhatar, Dainhat, Purbasthali, where two CPI-M offices were ransacked and motorbikes destroyed. The BJP candidates were attacked in Monteswar too.

In Burdwan town, the district leaders and party candidates, however, didn’t turn up at the SDM’s office to file nominations. It is alleged that the BJP female candidates were attacked by masked female brigade assigned allegedly by the Trinamul Congress.