Bengal Election: TMC Arambagh Candidate Sujata Mondal Alleges Attack At Poll Booth

Sujata Mondal Arambagh clash: Sujata Mondal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) assembly election candidate from the Arambagh constituency, alleges her party workers were attacked Tuesday at a polling booth in the Arandi area where voting in the third phase is underway. Clashes reportedly erupted between the TMC and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), during which Mondal claims she was hit with bricks and her officials were injured.

"At booth 45, people voted for TMC but it's going to BJP. In Arandi-ii, our workers were beaten. Central Forces are also not neutral. They're telling people to vote for BJP," Mondal told news agency

WB: Clash erupts b/w TMC & BJP supporters in Arambag, as voting in assembly elections is underway

In Arandi-I area here, we've minority, SC voters who love Mamata Banerjee. Goons of BJP threatened & tortured women voters last night: Sujata Mondal, TMC candidate from Arambagh pic.twitter.com/EqUVoAzBiA

WB: Clash erupts b/w TMC & BJP supporters in Arambag, as voting in assembly elections is underway

In Arandi-I area here, we've minority, SC voters who love Mamata Banerjee. Goons of BJP threatened & tortured women voters last night: Sujata Mondal, TMC candidate from Arambagh pic.twitter.com/EqUVoAzBiA

— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021

Mondal alleges being hit on the head with lathis and bricks, and being chased from the Arandi area by masked goons.

The TMC, sharing visuals of Mondal on-site where she is seen being guided away from persons wielding sticks, has said, "...Openly abusing her & threatening her with rods & sickle. If they have the guts to do this to a female candidate, imagine what they can do to your daughters."

The TMC Arambagh candidate made headlines last year for joining Banerjee's party in opposition to her husband Saumitra Khan, a BJP member. Khan divorced Mondal over the incident. Read all about it here.

Sujata Mondal Arambagh Clash Prompts TMC Fury, Mamata Responds

TMC supremo Banerjee, who has cried foul over the central police force and EC's alleged inaction over the violence erupting at poll booths in Bengal, issued a charged attack against the BJP after the Arandi clash. "They have inflicted serious injury on our Scheduled Caste candidate Sujata, when she visited a booth," she said at a rally in Alipurduar on Tuesday.

"They talk about Beti Bachao and beat up my woman candidate Sujata Mondal, who is also an SC candidate," she added, threatening legal action. The TMC says they have registered a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) in light of the Arambagh poll booth clash.

Nandigram, from where TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is contesting, also saw alleged clashes between the two primary oppositions last week. As per reports, the EC has dismissed Banerjee's claims of rigging at the Boyal poll booth in Nandigram as "factually incorrect" and warned her of action for "misdemeanour."

Our coverage on the Bengal assembly elections here.