Lok Sabha polls: Adhir and Ahluwalia face protests during election campaign

Both Baharampur and Asansol are going to polls on May 13. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is five term Congress MP while S.S. Ahluwalia has represented Darjeeling and Bardhaman Durgapur.

Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury during his campaign for Lok Sabha elections, at Berhampore in Murshidabad district on April 13, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

Veteran MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and S.S. Ahluwalia on Saturday faced protests during the election campaign in their respective constituencies in West Bengal.

“Go back” slogans were raised at Baharampur from where five-time MP and West Bengal Congress president Mr. Chowdhury is seeking re-election. He said a group of “drunken” youths came in front of his vehicle while returning home after campaigning in the afternoon.

“They were yelling: Go back, go back!! I stopped and asked them their complaints. Initially, only one person was there, but then several others joined him. I realised that it was organised by the Trinamool Congress. But they would not be able to stop me in this way,” Mr. Chowdhury said.

Mr. Chowdhury, who is facing former cricketer Yusuf Pathan as the Trinamool candidate, accused the State’s ruling party of a ‘conspiracy’ to stop him.

While videos of the scuffle between Trinamool and Congress supporters had surfaced earlier in the day, later the Trinamool shared a video of Mr. Chowdhury pushing a youth.

“Sheer display of hooliganism by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Your fear of losing elections is pretty evident from your actions. But using muscle power won’t help you in any way! SHAME!” the party posted on its official handle.

‘Angry’ BJP workers

Mr. Chowdhury is not the only politician who has faced protests. BJP candidate from Asansol S.S. Ahluwalia, who has represented two different constituencies in the State in the past, had to face angry party workers on the first day of the campaign.

A few youths holding party flags approached Mr. Ahluwalia’s vehicle and reportedly made angry gestures at him. The MP’s security personnel and the BJP supporters present during the campaign removed the protesters.

Congress candidate Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury during his campaign for Lok Sabha elections, at Berhampore in Murshidabad district. | Photo Credit: PTI

A section of BJP supporters are upset with Mr. Ahluwalia’s nomination from the seat. He said that the decision to field him from Asansol was taken by the party leadership from Delhi. Mr. Ahulawlia is pitted against Trinamool Congress’ Shatrughan Sinha.

Asansol had elected BJP’s Babul Supriyo in 2014 and 2019, but he later defected to the Trinamool. In 2022, the constituency elected Mr. Sinha with a margin of over three lakh votes.

Baharampur and Asansol are going to the polls on May 13.