The violence during Panchayat elections in West Bengal forced at least 133 BJP workers to flee to neighbouring Assam for refuge, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.
"Yesterday, 133 individuals who feared for their lives due to violence in the panchayat elections in West Bengal sought refuge in Dhubri district of Assam. We have provided them with shelter in a relief camp, as well as food and medical assistance," Sarma tweeted on Tuesday.
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Sources said those who took shelter in Dhubri hail from Coochbehar district of Bengal, which shares a border with Assam. The initial trends of results of the panchayat elections on Tuesday suggested TMC's victory.
Senior BJP leader in Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari while thanking Sarma on twitter for providing shelter to the BJP workers said that the Opposition party workers, particularly BJP are often subjected to poll-related to violence.
At least 18 people died and several injured in violence during the Panchayat elections which were conducted in Trinamool Congress-ruled Bengal on Saturday. Both TMC and the Opposition BJP blamed each other for the violence.
Sarma replied saying, "We consider the people of West Bengal as our valued and respected neighbours. During the previous Assembly elections in West Bengal, we extended the same assistance. Please be assured that you can rely on us for any humanitarian aid during times of crisis."
More than 1,000 Opposition party workers, mostly BJP workers, had similarly fled to Dhubri and taken shelter due to the violence during the Assembly elections in Bengal in 2021. They returned to Bengal after several months.