Soon after announcement of poll schedules, supporters of BJP and Congress engaged in massive clashes at Majlishpur assembly constituency on Wednesday afternoon and as many as 15 leaders and supporters of Congress including senior AICC leader and in-charge of Tripura Dr Ajoy Kumar sustained injuries.

Sources said that on Wednesday morning after motorbike rally of Congress workers covering many roads of Agartala went to Jirania area for campaigning and when, the rally returning back to Agartala, the clashes erupted  Sachindranagar colony,Jirania, RanirBazar and in Briddhinagar area of the constituency.

Amidst massive stone pelting from both sides of National Highway-8 and in presence of a large number of security forces, both party workers engaged in severe pitch-battle. As  a result, 15 Congress workers including AICC in-charge DR Ajoy Kumar had also suffered injuries and they were all shifted to GB Hospital.

Sources said that before pitch-battle among the supporters of both parties, local MLA and Minister Sushanta Chowdhury had also a heated altercation with senior Congress leader Ashish Kumar Saha and after intervention by police officials, both leaders were removed from the spot.

AIG(Police Control) Jyotishman Das Chowdhury said that two separate FIRs has been registered filled by two parties accusing each other. He said that ten supporters of Congress were admitted to GB Hospital and now the situation is under control. Amidst escalating tension, police added that a large number of security forces were deployed in the entire Majlishpur assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference Congress MLA and senior leader Sudip Roy Barman asked where is Election Commission of India’s (ECI) assurance of zero-poll violence.

He said that their party workers organized a peaceful bike rally in Jirania, but hundreds of BJP workers had blockaded the rally and started stone-pelting in presence of security forces. When the incident started no police and security personnel had not tried to disperse miscreants and in presence of them, rampant attacks have continued.

“After announcement of poll-schedules, the attacks on opposition party in a peaceful rally , is a direct challenge of ECI that BJP will continue their dictatorship and will not allow opposition to continue their democratic rights campaigning,”, said Sudip and added that they will seek the intervention of ECI to protect their rights.

He said that soon after the incident he spoke to the DGP and SP(West), they assured , but in reality , the local police officials including the SDPO(Jirania) remained silent spectators and miscreants of BJP continued their rampage .

He urged the ECI and CEO, Tripura to direct police authorities to act impartially and arrest all miscreants responsible for the attack on Dr Ajoy Kumar and other party workers.

Barman claims that at least 30 party workers including women suffered injuries  and three motorbikes were stolen away from the spot and miscreants had also ransacked 10 motorcycles. He also alleged that a minister was leading the attack on the opposition and demanded that the ECI separately conduct polls in five constituencies, including the Majlishpur constituency where the incident took place today.