Bengal bypolls: BJP candidate, MLA heckled in Coochbehar, party accuses TMC

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has denied any involvement of its party workers in the Coochbehar incident.

A BJP candidate for the upcoming assembly by-elections and a legislator were heckled in the presence of a saffron party MP allegedly by TMC supporters during campaigning in West Bengal's Coochbehar district on Tuesday.

A clash between BJP and TMC supporters during an election campaign for Bhabanipur by-election, in Kolkata (Image for representation) (Saikat Paul)

The local TMC leadership, however, denied the involvement of party workers in the incident.

Ashok Mondal, the BJP candidate for Dinhata assembly by-election, and Natabari's party MLA Mihir Goswami were heckled in the presence of Jalpaiguri's BJP MP Jayanta Roy during campaigning at Nayarhat.

Alleged TMC supporters raised 'go back' slogans as the BJP leaders reached the area to campaign for the October 30 by-poll. Police, however, brought the situation under control.

Mondal and Goswami had faced a similar situation in Bamanhat area on Monday.

BJP alleged that the incidents were engineered to prevent the party candidate from campaigning.

The by-election to Dinhata assembly constituency was necessitated by the resignation of Nisith Pramanik, winning candidate and Minister of State for Home Affairs, who retained his Lok Sabha seat.

Besides Dinhata, by-elections will also be held in Santipur (Nadia), Gosaba (South 24 Parganas) and Khardah (North 24 Parganas).