Babul Supriyo's car vandalised, heckled by Trinamool

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Babul Supriyo, whose car was vandalised outside a polling booth and he himself was heckled repeatedly during the Lok Sabha elections in Asansol on Monday, expressed his disappointment with the role of the central paramilitary forces.

The singer-turned politician's car was vandalised in Barabani area in the morning, shattering its rear windshield, but he was unharmed.

The disturbance happened after Supriyo went inside a polling booth to ensure his party agents were allowed inside. "They are trying to stop me. But they won't be able to stop me like this. I will move to ensure that BJP agents are allowed," Supriyo told the media.

"These men have attacked my car but I would not be resorting to hooliganism. It is a ploy to confine me at a place but I will move.

"Central force can take charge of the booths but the agents are not able to come out from their houses. I will try to go to as many places as possible and help them. This is the modus operandi of the ruling party," he said.

Trinamool Congress workers, on the other hand, alleged that Supriyo and his men had manhandled them.

According to Election Commission sources, a detailed report has been sought in the matter.

Later in the day, Supriyo was heckled by agitators backed by state's ruling Trinamool at Raniganj.

Slogan-shouting Trinamool activists and supporters were seen surrounding him at Raniganj while he was moving from one booth to other.

"I am disappointed with the role of the central forces, though they have tried. Taking the party's agent to polling booth is not the central forces' job. Local police should look at whether people go out to cast their votes. The system is flawed. It is sad that the central forces did not work properly," he said.

The Union Minister alleged that the central force personnel were "offered food and greeted" last night by the Trinamool leaders. 

Supriyo also accused the Trinamool activists of capturing booths.

"We are demanding a repoll," he said.

Supriyo, the sitting MP of the Asansol parliamentary constituency, has been re-nominated by the BJP, and he is pitted against the Trinamool's actor-turned-politician Moon Moon Sen. IANS