The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership, operating under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, appears deeply unsettled by the looming possibility of defeat in the highly contested 2026 Vidhan Sabha elections. Driven by this apparent desperation, the ruling party mobilized its fringe elements to incite widespread chaos and physical conflict during the crucial first phase of voting on Thursday, April 23.

In a calculated effort to suppress voter turnout and prevent the electorate from unseating the current government, individuals aligned with the TMC deployed aggressive tactics of fear and brute force across multiple districts. We have systematically compiled and reviewed a detailed record of nine distinct incidents of electoral violence that unfolded throughout the day.

In our first recorded event of the day, located in the Moyna Assembly constituency of the Purba Medinipur district, the official TMC candidate, Chandan Mondal, was caught directly attempting to sway and pressure everyday voters at the polling stations. Rather than succumbing to the intimidation, the local public immediately mobilized. Frustrated citizens confronted Mondal, raising loud slogans of protest and ultimately chasing him away from the voting premises.

TMC Radicals Prevent Citizens from Voting in the Raninagar Area

Moving to the Murshidabad district, alarming reports emerged from Booth No. 54 within the Raninagar Assembly constituency. Here, operatives associated with the TMC physically blocked ordinary citizens from accessing the polling station to exercise their franchise. The aggrieved voters refused to stay silent and quickly escalated their complaints to the authorities. Responding to the public outcry, local police and deployed security forces arrived at the scene, met with the frustrated citizens, and successfully provided a secure escort to ensure they could cast their votes safely.

BJP Nominee Assaulted, Polling Official Blocked at Kumarganj Station

The aggression intensified in the Kumarganj Assembly constituency, where TMC loyalists—deceptively masquerading as ordinary, disgruntled locals—launched a physical assault against the local BJP candidate. Disturbing viral video footage of the incident shows the attackers repeatedly throwing punches at the nominee in broad daylight. Most shockingly, this assault took place in the direct presence of law enforcement officers who stood by passively, doing absolutely nothing to intervene or protect the victim as he desperately attempted to escape the blows.

During the same period and within the same constituency, TMC operatives aggressively barred the BJP's designated polling agent from stepping foot inside the election booth. This standoff was only resolved when a group of BJP workers arrived at the location and chased the aggressors away to restore access.

TMC Operatives Blockade Streets in Murshidabad District

In a blatant show of muscle power aimed at unnerving the local electorate, bands of TMC supporters took over key public roads in Murshidabad, creating an artificial traffic blockade. Their primary objective was to project dominance and strike fear into anyone heading to the polls. Armed police personnel deployed in the region attempted to break up the blockade and restore normal traffic flow. However, the miscreants boldly defied law enforcement, actively waving Trinamool Congress flags while continuing to orchestrate disruptions on the streets.

Violent Confrontation between TMC and AJUP Factions

Tensions reached a boiling point in the Naoda Assembly constituency of Murshidabad, resulting in a severe physical clash. The conflict erupted between ruling Trinamool Congress members and followers of Humayun Kabir, a former TMC MLA who now leads the Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP). According to contemporary field reports (corroborated by independent coverage from The Hindu detailing the April 23 polling booth tensions at Shibnagar village), TMC workers actively obstructed Kabir's movements.

This initial obstruction rapidly degenerated into a savage, full-scale riot between the two political camps. Wielding large sticks and heavy stones, both sides ruthlessly battered one another. Amidst the chaos of the violent skirmish, a video captured Humayun Kabir losing his temper, directly abusing the surrounding TMC workers as ‘son of whre’ and verbally declaring that he threatened to fck their mothers.

Mamata's ‘lungi bahini’ Assaults Police and Paramilitary Troops

The violence was not merely restricted to rival political parties; state and national security forces were also directly targeted. On the same Thursday, members of the Mamata administration's controversial ‘lungi bahini’ launched a brazen attack on uniformed personnel from the West Bengal Police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). This ambush took place in the Dubrajpur Assembly constituency, located in the Birbhum district.

Shocking visual evidence from the scene depicts an out-of-control mob relentlessly hurling heavy bricks and jagged stones at the armed forces, forcing the heavily outnumbered security personnel to run for physical cover. During their rampage, the rioters also completely shattered the windshield of an official police vehicle.

BJP Candidate and Election Agent Assaulted in Labhpur Area

In another highly disturbing incident out of the Birbhum district, social media visuals exposed TMC thugs physically surrounding and gheraoing the vehicle belonging to the BJP candidate for the Labpur Assembly constituency. The aggressive mob easily overpowered the sparse police presence stationed at the site. They subjected the candidate's car to a relentless barrage of kicks, heavy punches, and blows. Operating in a sheer frenzy, the attackers successfully shattered the rear windshield of the vehicle while the overwhelmed police officers failed entirely to bring the situation under control.

Subsequent updates from the area revealed that the violence went even further; these same TMC operatives carried out a brutal, physical attack on the BJP's official polling agent, beating him mercilessly and leaving him bleeding heavily at the scene.

Polling Booth Blockade Executed by TMC Operatives

Efforts to digitally and physically manipulate the voting process were recorded in the Tufanganj constituency of Cooch Behar, where widespread reports of coordinated booth jamming surfaced. Fortunately, in this instance, Central forces were highly vigilant and quick to respond. They successfully dismantled the illegal operation, thwarting the TMC workers' plans and chasing the perpetrators away from the polling site. Video documentation confirming this rapid and decisive intervention by the central authorities has since gone viral across major social media platforms.

TMC Thugs Vandalize Vehicle of BJP Candidate in Asansol

As the day progressed, the industrial city of Asansol witnessed its own share of targeted violence. Goons affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress launched a terrifying ambush on the personal vehicle of BJP candidate Agnimitra Paul. Official reports and police statements (backed by news coverage from PTI and The Times of India regarding the April 23 attack in the Rahmat Nagar area) confirm that the attackers aggressively pelted her moving car with heavy stones and bricks, doing so with the clear intent to cause her grave physical harm.

While the rear windowpanes of her vehicle were entirely shattered in the onslaught, the BJP leader thankfully managed to escape the vicinity unhurt. Following the traumatic ambush, her team swiftly filed an official complaint with the Hirapur Police Station, which has subsequently initiated a formal investigation into the targeted attack.

Despite this exhaustive, orchestrated campaign by the Mamata regime and her loyal ‘lungi bahini’ to instill fear, coerce the public, and violently manipulate the electoral landscape, their efforts ultimately failed to break the spirit of the citizens. Undeterred by the widespread threats and physical dangers surrounding the booths, the resilient people of West Bengal stepped out of their homes in massive, overwhelming numbers to rightfully exercise their democratic power.