Murshidabad, 29 March (H.S.): Tension erupted at a Trinamool Congress (TMC) rally in the Naoda Assembly constituency after clashes broke out between party workers even before senior leader Abhishek Banerjee arrived at the venue. Allegations of assault and incidents of chair-throwing were reported, bringing internal factionalism to the fore.
According to local sources, the TMC unit in Naoda is largely divided between two groups—one led by outgoing MLA and current candidate Sahina Mamtaz, and the other associated with local MP Abu Taher Khan and his nephew Safiuzzaman Habib, who is also the block president.
The trouble reportedly began as party supporters gathered at the venue ahead of the rally. A dispute broke out over which group would occupy the front rows, leading to a heated altercation that soon turned violent.
Amid the chaos, a TMC supporter reached the front of the stage and alleged that he was forcibly removed from his seat and assaulted. “We were sitting there, why were we beaten with chairs?” he claimed, alleging that members of the rival faction pushed him out due to lack of space. Local sources said the youth belonged to the Sahina faction.
The situation escalated further with reports of chairs being hurled at the venue. Police later intervened and brought the situation under control.
After arriving at the rally, Abhishek Banerjee issued a stern warning from the stage, urging party workers to remain loyal. “If you wear a team’s jersey, play for that team. If you try to play for another, you will be shown a red card and sent off the field,” he said.
Notably, even before the official announcement of candidates, wall writings in support of Safiuzzaman had appeared in parts of Naoda. However, the party eventually fielded Sahina Mamtaz, which led to protests in some areas. Though Habib’s faction later joined the campaign for the party candidate, Sunday’s incident once again exposed underlying divisions within the party.
Reacting to the incident, Safiuzzaman Habib said all party workers would support the chosen candidate and attributed the unrest to emotional reactions by some individuals. Meanwhile, Sahina Mamtaz stated that those working against the party would face appropriate action.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
