Kolkata: The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on Thursday, April 23, 2026, was marred by a series of violent attacks on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and candidates across several districts. Despite the heavy deployment of central forces, high-profile nominees including Shuvendu Sarkar and Agnimitra Paul reported being targeted by mobs, leading to injuries and widespread property damage. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought urgent reports from district authorities after approximately 400 complaints of violence and voter intimidation were registered by the afternoon.
In one of the most dramatic incidents of the day, Shuvendu Sarkar, the BJP candidate from Kumarganj in South Dinajpur, was chased through open fields and physically assaulted by an angry mob. Video footage of the incident surfaced online, showing Sarkar running alongside his bodyguard before being intercepted and punched by several individuals. Sarkar alleged that the attack was a desperate attempt by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to intimidate voters in booths where his polling agents were being forcibly removed. While the ECI confirmed the arrest of five individuals related to this assault, the TMC has officially dismissed the claims as politically motivated theatre.
The violence extended to the industrial belt of Asansol, where BJP Vice President and Asansol South candidate Agnimitra Paul’s vehicle was pelted with stones in the Rahmatnagar area. Although Paul escaped unhurt, her secretary sustained minor injuries as the rear window of the car was completely shattered by large boulders. Paul characterized the ambush as a “deliberate attempt to influence the election” and called for the immediate resignation of the Chief Minister. Similar reports of clashes emerged from Labhpur in Birbhbum, where a BJP polling agent sustained severe head injuries after an alleged scuffle with rival party workers.
