Murshidabad, 10 May (H.S.): The police have arrested Trinamool Congress councillor Bishmadeb Karmakar in connection with the alleged disruption of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s election campaign in Berhampore, officials said on Sunday.

Karmakar, councillor of Ward No. 19 in Berhampore municipality and president of the organisational district unit of Trinamool Youth Congress in Murshidabad, was arrested by Berhampore police on Saturday night. He was produced in court on Sunday.

The incident dates back to April 4, when Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was campaigning in Berhampore as a Congress candidate during the Assembly election campaign. Allegations were raised that Trinamool supporters attempted to disrupt the rally by shouting “Go Back” slogans against Chowdhury, while “Joy Bangla” slogans were also raised, triggering tension in the area.

Supporters of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress allegedly got involved in scuffles, forcing police to intervene to bring the situation under control.

Following the incident, Chowdhury accused the Trinamool Congress of deliberately obstructing his campaign and lodged a written complaint with the police.

Karmakar, however, had denied the allegations and claimed that Chowdhury had brought outsiders to create unrest in Berhampore, and that local residents protested against it.

After the arrest, a section of Trinamool supporters alleged political vendetta, claiming that party leaders and workers were being targeted after the formation of the new government in the state. Police, however, rejected the allegation and said action was taken on the basis of a specific complaint related to the April 4 incident.

Chowdhury, a five-time MP from Berhampore, had lost the last Lok Sabha election to Trinamool candidate and former cricketer Yusuf Pathan. He was later fielded by the Congress in the 2026 Assembly election from the same area but suffered defeat again. BJP candidate Subrata Maitra won from the constituency this time.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey