Tension flared up in Cooch Behar in West Bengal after TMC goons tried to disrupt the campaign of BJP candidate Rathindranath Basu, leading to clashes in which they were chased away with sticks.

The incident created panic in the area just days before the Assembly elections.

The clash took place on Wednesday, 8th April, in Madhya Follimari village under the Cooch Behar South constituency. According to local sources, Basu was returning after campaigning in Haribhanga when a group linked to the Trinamool Congress blocked his vehicle, showed black flags and raised "go back" slogans.

The situation quickly turned tense as supporters from both sides got into an argument, which soon turned into a physical confrontation. As tempers rose, BJP workers retaliated and chased the TMC group with sticks along the village road. The sudden violence left locals frightened, with people running for safety and several shops in the nearby market shutting down for some time.

Police teams from Nishiganj outpost and Kotwali police station rushed to the spot after receiving information. The forces intervened, separated both sides and managed to bring the situation under control.

Reacting to the incident, Basu said the disruption shows that the ruling party is nervous about losing and is trying to block campaigning. On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress rejected the claims and said the reaction came from local residents, while accusing BJP supporters of attacking villagers.