BJP’s ‘Lokkho Sonar Bangla’ vehicles attacked after ECI declares poll schedule | Kolkata - Hindustan Times
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BJP’s ‘Lokkho Sonar Bangla’ vehicles attacked after ECI declares poll schedule

By, Kolkata
Feb 27, 2021 05:36 PM IST

The BJP lodged a complaint in the Phoolbagan police station. Senior BJP leaders of the state rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Hours after the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule in West Bengal on Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party allegedly came under attack from the ruling Trinamool Congress in Kolkata.

Image grab from the video tweeted Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell head.(Twitter)
Image grab from the video tweeted Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell head.(Twitter)

The BJP alleged that at least seven vehicles used in their campaign ‘Lokkho Sonar Bangla’ were damaged by the TMC, LED TVs and laptops were looted and the drivers and helpers of the vehicles were beaten up.

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“This is why the ECI has announced an eight-phase election in West Bengal. TMC workers entered the godown where the vehicles were parked and broke the windshields. LED TVs and laptops fitted in the vehicles were stolen. The poor driver, the helper and the security guard were beaten up,” said Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesman in West Bengal.

The BJP lodged a complaint in the Phoolbagan police station. Senior BJP leaders of the state rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

On Saturday afternoon, a team of BJP delegation met the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal and lodged a complaint in this regard. The Model Code of Conduct has already come into force soon after elections were declared by the ECI on Friday.

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“TMC hoodlums vandalise BJP’s #LokkhoSonarBangla raths in the godown in Kadapara... Raths were damaged and LEDs stolen. This is going to be one tough election for the EC to manage given the culture of political violence perpetrated by the TMC. People of West Bengal will respond!” tweeted Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell head.


The vehicles were launched by JP Nadda, the party’s national president, on Thursday as a part of the party’s manifesto and crowdsourcing campaign. Around 294 such vehicles fitted with suggestion boxes were launched.

The TMC, however, rubbished the charges saying that it is unfortunate.

“The TMC has never stopped the BJP’s 'Parivartan Rath Yatra' campaign. The rath yatra is going on across the state. If any untoward incident has happened anywhere then it is unfortunate. The TMC doesn’t approve it,” said Saugata Roy, TMC MP.

This is however not the first time that vehicles used in BJP’s poll campaigns have been attacked. Last week, bombs were hurled and a BJP rath yatra campaign was attacked in North 24 Parganas. A clash broke out between the BJP and the TMC. Later, BJP’s state leaders had shot letters to the Union home minister Amit Shah and the Election Commission of India.


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