BJP polling agent sustains severe head injury in Birbhum’s Labpur, TMC accused of attack

The first phase of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections saw a violent escalation in Birbhum’s Lavpur constituency on Thursday. Biswajit Mandal, the General Secretary of the BJP’s Bolpur organizational district and the election agent for BJP candidate Debashis Ojha, was severely injured after being attacked near a polling booth in Bhramarkol village under the Sainthia police station. Mandal, who was accompanying the candidate’s son, Devrup Ojha, reported that he was surrounded and assaulted by a group of miscreants shortly after raising complaints regarding booth encroachment.

According to the victim, the attack was swift and brutal. Mandal stated that his assailants struck him on the head with a brick, causing a severe fracture and bleeding. He remains admitted at the Siuri Super Specialty Hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment. Mandal has directly accused miscreants sheltered by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of carrying out the attack, claiming that the local party leadership is attempting to seize control of the polling process in the area.

The Trinamool Congress has vehemently denied these allegations, dismissing the BJP’s claims as baseless. While the Election Commission of India has undertaken unprecedented measures to ensure a "fair and peaceful" voting process, the incident in Lavpur highlights the continuing challenges in maintaining order during these high-stakes polls. Aside from this major incident in Birbhum, sporadic unrest has also been reported in Kumarganj, Nowda, and Domkal, where candidates and party workers have frequently clashed.