Major political parties in Malda, a district where Assembly polls would be held in half of its 12 seats on Monday, traded charges of violence and violations of Election Commission norms before voting day.

The BJP alleged Trinamul-backed goons had torched one of its election offices at Manikchak on Saturday night.

Refuting the allegation, Trinamul leaders accused the BJP of bringing in over 1,000 people at a public meeting in Manikchak on Sunday, where party leaders like Locket Chatterjee were present, disobeying the EC’s Covid protocols that limit crowds to 500.

Trinamul further alleged that Nishith Pramanik, the BJP MP of Cooch Behar, who visited Malda on Sunday, violated the model code of conduct by visiting BSF camps.

The Congress accused Trinamul of offering money to women voters in Sujapur.

Gobinda Chandra Mandal, the Malda district BJP president, said they set up an election office in Balutola under Manikchak police station, which “Trinamul supporters set ablaze”. “We filed a police complaint,” he said.

Hemanta Sharma, a district Trinamul leader, dismissed the charge and pointed to the BJP’s crowd violations in the Locket Chatterjee meeting.

J.P. Nadda, the BJP’s national president, virtually addressed the meeting while Chatterjee and some others gave speeches before those physically present. Trinamul said some 1,000 people had come to the venue. The BJP put the number at less than 500.

“Violating the model code of conduct and defying Covid-19 protocol is the BJP’s habit. On Saturday, BJP violated crowd protocol in Baishnabnagar (at Mithun Chakraborty’s rally). That meeting was stopped midway, but they have not learnt any lesson.”

BJP’s Mandal claimed less than 500 people were present. “A few days ago, Trinamul claimed our venues stay empty. The party is now raising a totally opposite objection.”

Isha Khan Choudhury, the Congress MLA of Sujapur who is contesting from the seat, filed a police complaint against Trinamul workers, saying they were calling up women of his constituency and asking them to get their Aadhaar cards registered with a mobile number to get Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 as monthly aid after elections. Ahead of polls, Trinamul had said in its manifesto that it would pay monthly aid to all distressed families of the state. “This is a bid to buy votes,” said Khan Choudhury.

District youth Trinamul chief Prasenjit Das filed a complaint with the poll panel alleging BJP MP Pramanik visited BSF camps in Habibpur on Sunday. He said it was a ploy to exploit the central armed police forces during the polls.

Administrative officials said they would look into each complaint.