The car that was set on fire. (Nantu Dey)

Raiganj, June 27: Congress supporters owing allegiance to a dissident claimant to a gram panchayat pradhan’s post here beat up the party’s nominated candidate and set his vehicle on fire today.

Police said Baren Roy had arrived with eight of his supporters to the Gouri gram panchayat office in the Raiganj police station area around 10.15am to form the board. Of the 16 seats in the gram panchayat, the Congress had won 10 and the CPM six. Roy, the former sabhapati of the Raiganj panchayat samiti, was nominated by the district leadership of the party to take over as the pradhan of Gouri gram panchayat.

Another winning candidate from the same gram panchayat, Ruhul Islam, who is the former deputy pradhan of the area, along with his supporters attacked Roy and his associates with lathis and stones. The police said Ruhul was staking claim to the post of the pradhan.

Roy and three others were injured. The four or five policemen who were on duty managed to shield Roy and his supporters and take them inside the panchayat office. Afterwards, Ruhul’s supporters set fire to the Tata Sumo in which Roy had come.

The police have arrested two persons.

Ruhul later said resentment had been brewing in the area over Roy becoming the new pradhan and the residents had acted in an irresponsible manner. “I went to the meeting held to form the board and extended full support to Roy and apologised for the behaviour of the public,” Ruhul said.

But Roy said it was Ruhul who had attacked him on purpose. “I have complained to the party leadership against him,” Roy said.

North Dinajpur Congress president Mohit Sengupta said the party could take action against Ruhul for attacking the nominated pradhan.

Deputy police superintendent, headquarters, Sisir Das, said that more policemen had been sent to the area. “Rapid Action Force personnel has patrolled the area to defuse the tension,” Das added.

CPM-Bloc meet

In Cooch Behar, CPM and Forward Bloc leaders sat together today to sort out differences concerning the formation of gram panchayat boards, reports our correspondent.

After suffering heavy reverses in the panchayat polls, the CPM is having to face the ignominy of the Bloc forming boards without its support, but with the help of the Trinamul Congress.

After the meeting, the Cooch Behar district secretary of the CPM, Chandi Pal, said fresh Left Front boards would be formed soon.