Bengal bypolls: TMC's Anarul Haque held hours after bombs hurled in Samserganj

TMC candidate Amirul Islam, who was seen making rounds of booths, said he was only making sure his agents were present at each polling station and it was his duty to keep an eye on the same.

A leader of the ruling Trinamool Congress was arrested on Thursday a little after the by-election to the Samserganj Assembly seat began at 7am. Bombs were hurled in the constituency a few hours before voting started and Anarul Haque was arrested in this connection.

Polling underway at a booth in Samserganj. (@CEOWestBengal)

TMC candidate Amirul Islam, who was seen making rounds of booths, said he was only making sure that his agents were present at each polling station and it was his duty to keep an eye on the same.

According to local reports, Islam said Haque and his armed loyalists had attacked a TMC worker's house in the area and they were led by Congress candidate Jaidur Rahaman. 

Rahaman, however, said nobody from the Congress was involved in the bombings and it was entirely an issue of inner fighting in the ruling camp. Anarul is Rahaman's nephew.

Election could not be held in Samserganj as scheduled on April 26 -- when the seventh of the eight-phase election in Bengal was held -- because Congress candidate Rezaul Haque passed away due to Covid-19 in early April.

Islam had defeated CPI (M)’s Touab Ali in the 2016 polls by about 2000 votes.

This time, the CPI(M) and Congress have fielded separate candidates even though the two parties had contested the March-April polls as allies. The Left nominee for the seat is Md Modassar Hossain. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contender is debutant Milan Ghosh.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has been tweeting about smooth polls being underway in the minority-dominated constituency. Till 9am, 16.32 per cent polling was recorded across the seat.

Besides Samserganj, bypolls are being held in the keenly watched Bhabanipur Jangipur constituencies. Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is seeking a seat to the Assembly from Bhabanipur.