Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren expressed concern and demanded a high-level investigation into the purported attack on his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, who is currently hospitalised after sustaining multiple injuries, in Nandigram on Wednesday.

Hemant tweeted, “Concerned & disturbed to know about the foot injury & hospitalisation of @MamataOfficial Didi during her election campaign in Nandigram. A high level investigation should be conducted to identify those behind this incident & punished. I wish her a speedy and healthy recovery.”

An MRI done Wednesday night, revealed a crack on her left foot, and ligament and soft tissue injuries, as per media reports.

Mamata has alleged that a group of people slammed the door of an SUV on her while she was standing on its footboard to greet people after visiting a local temple, hours after filing her nomination.

Hemant is working president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which heads coalition government along with Congress and RJD in Jharkhand. After an emphatic win in the 2019 assembly elections in the state and unseating BJP government, JMM too was looking at contesting Bengal elections to expand its political footprints. However, in a sudden turn of events following a call from Mamata Banerjee last week seeking his support in her favour, JMM is now believed to be supporting Didi’s Trinamool Congress.

Even though JMM is still to make an official announcement of its decision not to join the hustings in Bengal, party sources claimed that by not fielding any candidate in the first phase of elections that are scheduled on March 27, the JMM had indicated it's mind.

Of the 30 seats that will go to polls on March 27, about half a dozen are seats reserved for scheduled tribe (ST), which the JMM was eyeing to put up candidates.