A Trinamul Congress candidate for the panchayat polls and a party worker were attacked by alleged BJP supporters at two separate locations in the Cooch Behar district on Thursday.

Dilip Barman, a Trinamul candidate in Jamaldaha panchayat of the Mekhliganj subdivision, was attacked by suspected BJP cadres while he was returning home on Thursday night.

“He had been to a market in Kesharhat to attend a rally organised by the party. When he was heading for home, some BJP cadres attacked him in the Thunkirjhar area around 11.30pm with sharp weapons,” said a Trinamul leader.

Barman was injured and raised the alarm. Some Trinamul workers rushed to his help and took him to Mekhliganj subdivisional hospital where he is still under treatment.

In another incident, Amulya Arya, a Trinamul leader of Salbari 2 panchayat near Baxirhat, was attacked around 11pm at Turkanikuthi village. Arya, along with another Trinamul worker, was returning home when BJP supporters allegedly attacked him.

Arya is under treatment at the subdivisional hospital in Tufanganj.

“Ahead of the panchayat elections, the BJP is trying to foment tension in the district. We have filed police complaints and want action against the attackers,” said Baisakh Manta, a Trinamul leader.

The BJP has denied the charges. Bimal

Pal, a BJP leader of Tufanganj, said: "Trinamul is raising baseless allegations against the BJP. None in our party was involved in these incidents. Those attacks were the fallout of inner differences in Trinamul over the selection of candidates.”

In Cooch Behar, political violence had been reported during earlier elections also. “We hope deployment of central forces will improve the situation. As political activities have commenced at villages, police should intensify patrolling to avert such incidents,” said a senior resident of Salbari.

TMC leader traced

Nur Alam, a Trinamul Congress leader who had allegedly been abducted by BJP supporters on Tuesday night, was traced by police on Thursday.

Alam had gone missing from the Banstala area of Bhetaguri 2 panchayat in the Dinhata subdivision. He has issued a statement, saying no one had abducted him and he had been to a relative’s place in Dewanhat, said sources at Dinhata police station.

BJP office gutted

A BJP office at Dabgram in ward 23 of Siliguri was gutted in a blaze on Friday morning.

BJP leader Prasenjit Pal alleged that Trinamul Congress supporters had burned down the office.

“One of our supporters spotted the blaze and informed us. We rushed to the spot but could not save the furniture. We suspect Trinamul wants to ensure an Opposition-free civic ward and hence destroyed our office,” said Pal.

The BJP organised a march in the city to protest against the alleged arson.

Trinamul has denied the allegation.