BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul’s car was attacked near Rahmat Nagar in Asansol Dakshin Assembly constituency on 23 April 2026 during the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections. Stones were thrown at her moving vehicle as she exited a polling booth, resulting in the shattering of the rear windowpanes. The incident occurred while polling was underway across 152 constituencies in the state.
According to The Hindu, Agnimitra Paul informed reporters that the attack took place as she was leaving the polling premises. She stated, “Stones were thrown at my moving car as I was exiting a polling booth premises. The rear window was shattered. It is very clear who is behind this. This is an attempt to influence the election.”
As reported by Hindustan Times, the incident involving Agnimitra Paul’s car was one of several acts of violence reported during the day. The report noted that a stone was pelted at her car as she was coming out of a polling booth in Rahmat Nagar, Asansol, and that a complaint had been filed regarding the attack.
Coverage revealed that the first phase of polling in West Bengal was marked by sporadic incidents of violence, including assaults on candidates and vandalism of vehicles. The Election Commission sought reports from officials in areas where such incidents occurred, and security forces were deployed to maintain order.
Polling in West Bengal began at 7 a.m. and saw brisk participation, with voter turnout reaching 62.18% by 1 p.m. Analysis showed that the turnout was 18.7% by 9 a.m., increasing steadily throughout the day. The polling process was scheduled to continue until 6 p.m., with the remaining constituencies set to vote on 29 April 2026.
In addition to the attack on Agnimitra Paul, other incidents were reported, including the assault of BJP candidate Subhendu Sarkar in Kumarganj and clashes in Murshidabad. Reporting indicated that security personnel intervened in several locations to control tensions and ensure the safety of voters and candidates.
“A stone was pelted at my running car as we were coming out of a polling booth in Rahmat Nagar in Asansol. It is very clear who is behind this. This is an effort to influence the election. We have filed a complaint against this,” Agnimitra Paul stated.
Voter turnout remained high across districts, with Dakshin Dinajpur, Paschim Medinipur, and Jhargram each recording over 81% participation by 3 p.m. Further details confirmed that the fate of 1,478 candidates was being decided in this phase, with the Election Commission deploying significant security resources to manage the process.
While the polling process was largely peaceful in many areas, additional information highlighted the competitive nature of the elections, with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress contesting key seats across the state.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.