Violence erupted in Tufanganj of Cooch Behar district on Tuesday when supporters of BJP and Trinamul clashed with each other, prompting the police to rush to the spot and bring the situation under control.

Political workers attacked each other with bamboo sticks, rods and bricks, said sources. It took time for the police to disperse the crowd. Later, Trinamul and BJP blamed each other and demanded legal steps against the other.

Sources said Alipurduar’s BJP MP John Barla had convened a meeting of BJP workers at a community hall. When the meeting was in progress, a Trinamul rally to protest the Centre’s policies moved through the area. As the rally crossed the meeting venue, an altercation among supporters of rival parties snowballed into a clash.

“We had a political event in Tufanjganj on Monday. Persons backed by the BJP attacked our people in a planned manner to foil it. We suspect the attack was orchestrated by John Barla. BJP supporters vandalised a party office and seven motorcycles of our supporters parked in front of the office. We want strict steps against the MP,” said Partha Pratim Roy, Cooch Behar district Trinamul chief.

BJP leaders said there had been a heated verbal exchange near the community hall but denied the involvement of their party members in vandalism. “Our meeting was on when some Trinamul supporters came and started uttering abuses. This made some of our supporters walk out of the hall and articulate their protests. Seeing them, Trinamul supporters fled,” said Sanjoy Chakraborty, district general secretary of BJP in Cooch Behar. He blamed a rival Trinamul faction for the vandalism. “These people took the chance,” he said.