The ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress have got into election mode in a belligerent mode in Assam with the latter seeking action against three police officers after its leaders and workers were attacked allegedly by “BJP goons” in Samaguri Assembly constituency on Tuesday.

The attack on a Congress convoy, comprising SUVs and bikes, came under attack in front of a BJP office in poll-bound Samaguri, a Congress stronghold, at around 10.30am, about four hours before the Election Commission announced the dates for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra Assembly polls besides bypolls in several states.

Condemning the attack, the Congress stepped up the ante filing three FIRs with the Nagaon police on Tuesday, holding press meets and petitioning the chief electoral officer Anurag Goel on Wednesday seeking action against three police officials for “hobnobbing with the ruling party of Assam” and for indulging in “activities which are detrimental to the free and fair election”.

The police officials are Nagaon SP Swapnaneel Deka and officers-in-charges of Rupahi and Khatowal police stations, Sanjib Kumar Roy and Biku Barman respectively.

Samaguri in Nagaon district will go to polls on November 13 along with four other Assembly constituencies, including Behali, Dholai, Bongaigaon and Sidli. Poll was necessitated in these five seats after the five sitting MLAs won the Lok Sabha poll in June.

After submitting the one-page memorandum, signed by the APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah and working president Jakir Husain Sikdar, among others, senior Congress leader Ripun Bora said BJP cannot win the polls using it gundas (miscreants) while flagging the police’s “partisan role” for not having acted against those involved in the attack. “Gundagiri na chaliba (will not allow lawlessness),” Bora said warning the ruling BJP.

The Congress memorandum has not mentioned the BJP by name.

An official said notices have been issued to eight persons on Wednesday to appear before the police for their alleged involvement in the attack after they were not found at the residences by police search teams on Tuesday.

Congress leaders have filed three FIRs. “Seven vehicles were damaged in the attack which happened near a BJP office. Their windshields were shattered. Congress MLA Huda’s finger was injured in the attack,” a police official said.

There are two versions of the incident with the Congress accusing the BJP goons of attacking it without any provocation while the BJP accusing the Congress members of raising slogans against the ruling party while crossing their office, the official said.

The BJP activists were also angry with the Congress “for getting people from outside” to campaign in the constituency.