Post-poll violence: Deaths, attacks and arson shadow BJP’s historic victory

MP, May 6, 2026, Kolkata: Hours after the West Bengal Assembly results were declared, top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appealed to the people of the state to “give up the culture of violence”. However, the post-result violence that followed cast a shadow over the BJP’s historic victory.

On Tuesday, BJP’s Bengal president Samik Bhattacharya warned that post-poll violence would not be tolerated and anyone found involved would be expelled from the party. Yet, within hours of the saffron surge, Bengal slipped into a familiar spiral of violence.

The first shock came from Beleghata, where the body of TMC booth agent Biswajit Pattanaik was found outside his home after he reportedly stepped out following a phone call.

Soon after, in Nanur’s Santoshpur, TMC booth president Abir Sheikh was allegedly killed on a road, sparking fresh tension.

Violence soon spread to Udaynarayanpur. A BJP supporter, Jadav Bar, was allegedly beaten to death while returning from victory celebrations, with rival political workers being blamed.

In the same constituency, the Trinamool Congress alleged its victorious candidate Samir Kumar Panja was assaulted by BJP supporters.

In Swarupnagar, the residence of winning TMC candidate Bina Mondal was allegedly ransacked, and her car vandalised.

The TMC further alleged attacks on party offices in Tollygunge, Kasba, Baruipur, Panihati, Kamarhati, Baranagar, Howrah, Ruby, Asansol and Berhampore.

The office of former minister Aroop Biswas was allegedly vandalised, while in Falta, Diamond Harbour, armed men allegedly attacked another party office. Similar allegations surfaced from Murshidabad, where the TMC claimed its Berhampore office was ransacked.

Reports also emerged of a shoe being hurled at a TMC MP and attacks on local leaders in Cooch Behar and elsewhere.

In Alipurduar, an elderly woman was allegedly assaulted and suffered head injuries.

Fresh violence also erupted in Bhangar, where the TMC accused victorious ISF workers of overnight attacks in Nimkuria and Beota.

A TMC supporter, Firoz Molla, alleged that nearly 50 armed men attacked his family, leaving several injured, including his father, who was shifted to Kolkata for treatment.

Tension also gripped the University of Calcutta College Street campus, where a student and DSO worker sustained head injuries during clashes with ABVP members who were holding a meeting inside the campus, prompting police intervention amid post-poll unrest.

Even after the Election Commission of India retained nearly 70,000 CAPF personnel anticipating unrest, the state’s post-result morning once again turned violent.