West Bengal polls 2026: TMC-BJP clash erupts, ‘Go back’ slogans, hockey stick claims trigger chaos

Kolkata: Fresh political tensions erupted in Baranagar during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign as Trinamool Congress candidate Sayantika Banerjee and BJP’s Sajal Ghosh once again found themselves at the centre of a heated confrontation.

What began as a dispute over campaign materials quickly spiralled into chaos, bringing traffic to a grinding halt and leaving police scrambling to restore order.

According to BJP leaders, the flashpoint was the alleged removal of their flex banners and hoardings, which they claim were replaced by Trinamool displays. The ruling party, however, rejected the allegation, insisting its campaign was peaceful and accusing the BJP of engineering unrest.

Banerjee, the sitting MLA and TMC candidate, said she was campaigning in Ward 2 when she received information that “outsiders armed with hockey sticks” had entered Ward 27 with the intent to attack party workers. She rushed to Gopal Lal Thakur Road, following which tensions escalated rapidly.

As evening fell, BJP candidate Sajal Ghosh led a protest with a microphone, raising sharp slogans against Sayantika. Chants of “Sayantika go back” and “chore MLA go back” echoed through the area, intensifying the confrontation.

Soon, supporters from both camps engaged in a war of words, clogging the streets and paralysing vehicular movement.

Police personnel deployed at the spot faced difficulties in dispersing the crowd as tempers flared. Eyewitnesses reported pushing, jostling, and aggressive sloganeering, though no major injuries were officially confirmed till late evening.

Banerjee accused the BJP of targeting women workers, alleging, “They brought outsiders with hockey sticks to attack our female supporters.”

She also claimed that BJP cadres from neighbouring areas like Kashipur, Lebutala and Beltala were brought in to incite violence. “The people of Baranagar do not support such politics. BJP is losing its nerve,” she said, adding that her party would be ready to “respond if provoked.”

Sajal Ghosh, on the other hand, hit back, accusing the Trinamool of removing BJP campaign materials and deliberately provoking party workers. In a sharp retort, he said, “This is not 2021, this is 2026. Baranagar has changed.

Just like New India strikes back, we will respond if needed,” invoking strong military metaphors to underline his stance.

The clash adds to a growing list of flashpoints in the high-stakes West Bengal polls, with Baranagar emerging once again as a politically sensitive battleground.

Notably, Banerjee had defeated Ghosh in the earlier bypoll, setting the stage for a fierce rematch now marked by heightened tensions and aggressive campaigning.