Lok Sabha Election 2024: Tensions Flare in Ghatal, TMC's Dev and BJP's Hiran Clash Amid Election Day Turmoil

During the 6th phase of elections, the Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency in Bengal garnered significant attention, not only due to its high-profile candidates but also because of episodes of sporadic violence reported across the Keshpur area within the constituency. While TMC candidate Dev accused the BJP of instigating the unrest, BJP candidate Hiran retaliated by implicating his opponent and the Trinamool Congress in the violence. Bengal witnessed a 77.99% voter turnout by 6 pm, with Ghatal recording a turnout of 78.92%.

The BJP fielded the actor-turned-politician Hiranmay Chatterjee, commonly known as Hiran, who also serves as the current MLA of the Kharagpur state assembly seat. While en route to oversee the electoral proceedings in his constituency, Hiran encountered obstacles. He claimed that Trinamool Congress workers and supporters obstructed his path by setting tires on fire, chanting slogans, and women wielding brooms took to the streets to prevent him from visiting various polling booths in the Keshpur area of his Lok Sabha constituency. "TMC is frightened that BJP is going to win this election, and that is the reason they are trying to stop the people by goons and their own police. They have even used the mechanisms of the central forces to stop me from going to booths. They have created an eco system to stop the voters from casting their votes," said Hiran. 

On the opposing end of the election spectrum, the Trinamool Congress has nominated Deepak Adhikari, better known as Dev. The actor-turned-politician secured the Ghatal seat in both the 2014 and 2019 elections, and he is now aiming for his third consecutive victory, aiming for a hat-trick. Addressing the incidents of scattered violence in the Keshpur area, Dev remarked that Ghatal is typically a peaceful region, attributing the alleged election-day violence to the BJP. "Hiran has been there in Keshpur since yesterday night, he has gone there to create ruckus over there. He is threatening the CRPF, he is threatening the police, he is threatening everyone around him, so I think its simply a repercussion of his act," said Dev.

The Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency is among the 42 parliamentary seats in Bengal and falls under the general category and covers parts of Paschim Medinipur and Purba Medinipur districts. Comprising seven Legislative Assembly segments—Panskura Paschim in Purba Medinipur, and Sabang, Pingla, Debra, Daspur, Ghatal , and Keshpur in Paschim Medinipur. TMC's Dev has been the MP since 2014, succeeding Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI, 2009).