Two local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were arrested late on Monday night in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, after a factional clash between rival party groups in the Khardah area erupted into violence, the police said on Tuesday, 6 October 2026. The dispute, rooted in allegations of extortion from a fishery in the Patulia area of Khardah Assembly constituency, came barely five months after the BJP assumed power in the state.

What Triggered the Violence

According to BJP leader Indranil Kumar Das, tension had been simmering between two factions over alleged extortion from a fishery in Patulia. Das alleged that Himadri Sikdar, vice-president of Khardah Mandal 3, had been collecting money from the fishery every month. When Das confronted Sikdar over the alleged collections, an argument broke out and quickly escalated into a physical clash in the Barrackpore Industrial Area.

The confrontation spilled into public spaces, creating tension among local residents. BJP workers also alleged that when injured persons were taken to a nearby health centre, members of the rival faction hurled bombs at the facility. A bomb was reportedly thrown during the clash, though police are investigating the circumstances.

Police Response and Arrests

Officers from Rahara police station reached the area after receiving information about the violence and brought the situation under control. BJP workers subsequently gathered outside the police station to protest against the incident. Police later arrested Das and Sikdar. Authorities confirmed that a clash had taken place and said an investigation was underway to establish the full circumstances and identify those responsible.

Rival Claims and Counter-Allegations

The two factions have since traded accusations. Supporters of Sikdar alleged that Das is not formally associated with the BJP and claimed that individuals who had previously worked for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) before the May 4 Assembly election results were exploiting the BJP's name to carry out extortion. Das firmly rejected these allegations, stating that he had served as the election agent of state minister Kalyan Mukherjee and had never been associated with the Trinamool Congress. Das further claimed that the minister had learnt of the alleged extortion and had specifically asked him to intervene and stop it.

Notably, a section of the local BJP has pushed back against the characterisation of the incident as an internal factional clash, though the allegations from both sides remain unverified pending the police investigation.

Broader Context: BJP's Post-Poll Governance Challenges

This incident is the latest in a series of internal friction episodes within the BJP in West Bengal since the party's landmark electoral victory. Coming barely five months into the BJP's tenure in the state, the Khardah episode underscores the governance and cadre-management challenges the party faces, particularly in managing workers who switched allegiance from rival parties ahead of the elections. Critics argue that such incidents risk eroding the credibility of the new government if internal discipline is not swiftly restored. The investigation by Rahara police is expected to shed further light on the extortion allegations and the exact sequence of events.