Bengal BJP candidate injured in road accident, party cries foul

Kolkata, May 04: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bangaon Lok Sabha constituency IN West Bengal was admitted to hospital after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) rammed into his car.

Shantanu Thakur sustained serious head injuries in the road accident when his car collided with a police vehicle.

Shantanu Thakur, who is the grandson of the Matua community matriarch late Binapani Devi, his driver and two others who were in the vehicle, were injured, the police said.

He suffered an injury in his head and was rushed to the Bongaon sub-divisional hospital.

The accident happened at around 12.15 p m when a police van lost control and hit Thakur's vehicle at the front when he was heading towards Kalyani to attend an election rally on the last day of campaigning, the police said.

BJP Kailash Vijayvargiya was scheduled to speak at the rally. None was arrested in connection with the accident and the police vehicle was allegedly damaged by BJP workers.

A West Bengal Police officer said "We are trying to find out what actually happened and whose fault it was. We are talking to drivers of both the vehicles. So far nobody has been arrested".

When contacted the BJP candidate's mother Chabirani Thakur alleged that the accident was the result of a "conspiracy" hatched by Trinamool Congress.

"My son's vehicle was standing on the side of the road and suddenly from nowhere this police van came and hit it. We want a thorough investigation into the matter," she told PTI.

Seven parliamentary constituencies of Bangaon, Barrackpore both in North 24 Parganas district, Howrah, Uluberia, Sreerampore, Hooghly, Arambag are scheduled to go to the polls in the fifth phase.

BJP has pitted Shantanu Thakur of the Matua community against sitting TMC MP Mamatabala Thakur, the daughter-in-law of the late Matua matriarch.

The family is witnessing a feud over control on the community, which has an estimated 30 lakh population in the state and can influence results in at least five parliamentary constituencies of North and South 24 Parganas districts.