Kolkata: Pre-panchayat poll violence took an ugly turn on May 5 when Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tapan Sikdar was assaulted and injured allegedly by Communist Party of India – Marxist (CPM) workers when he was campaigning for his party's panchayat poll candidates at Kaipul in North 24 Parganas district.

Sikdar's convoy was attacked when he was returning from a poll meeting at Kaipul near Barasat. The attackers assaulted the minister and his driver and damaged their car.

"I had a narrow escape due to the timely intervention of my security staff ... my convoy was attacked by CPM activists as I was going to my constituency for campaigning for the panchayat poll," he said, adding that he was injured in the neck.

Sikdar was admitted to a nursing home at Lake Town, BJP leader Muzaffarpur Khan said.

Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee condemned the attack and asked the police to arrest the culprits.

PTI