Calcutta, April 14: The BJP today tried to garner public support by highlighting an alleged attack on Roopa Ganguly as an example of the failure of law and order in the state.

The BJP's Bengal minder, Sidharth Nath Singh, rushed to Alipore police station within hours of the alleged attack. The BJP candidate for ward 74, Paramita Dutta, lodged a complaint against suspected Trinamul workers for allegedly assaulting the actress-politician and damaging the makeshift dais at the venue of a campaign meeting in Gopalnagar.

Roopa, the BJP's star campaigner, alleged this evening that a group of suspected Trinamul activists abused and assaulted her while she tried to get on to the dais on Judges Court Road, less than 1km from chief minister Mamata Banerjee's home.

"Bengal's law-and-order situation is deteriorating. This would lead to the imposition of President's rule some day. Trinamul is scared of the BJP, but we will reply democratically. Bengal will see the final result in 2016," Singh said outside Alipore police station.

The BJP, which is trying to bag the principal Opposition's space, has had a rough run-up to the civic polls, with many in the party protesting the choice of candidates, a lacklustre manifesto and the failure to field Roopa as a nominee.

According to the ABP Ananda-Nielsen India opinion poll, the BJP is projected to come third, with its figures not even touching double digits. The survey said Trinamul would sweep the elections.

After securing more than 25 per cent votes in Calcutta and leading in 26 wards in the city in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP was expected to put up an impressive performance in the civic elections.

Although forecasts do not always come true, there is little doubt that the BJP has lost momentum in the state. Not only has the party failed to build the organisation, its strategy ahead of the civic polls also seems to have backfired.

A BJP leader conceded: "By focussing more on Trinamul's failures instead of development issues and civic problems, we have made a mistake."

The BJP has been crying hoarse about "terror tactics" by Trinamul in the run-up to the civic elections. Bengal minder Singh said the party would move the high court on Thursday over the issue.

"The Trinamul Congress has reduced the civic polls to a farce. We are preparing for next year's Assembly elections.... We will bring the law-and-order issue to the court's notice," Singh said.

BJP state president Rahul Sinha claimed that the party was banking on the Centre for central forces during the elections.

Sinha said Union home secretary L.C. Goyal had called up Bengal home secretary Basudeb Banerjee last evening and asked about the state's requirement of central forces.

Calls to the state home secretary went unanswered.

Sources in Nabanna said the Union home secretary hadn't called his Bengal counterpart in the past seven days.

Asked about central forces, Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said: "By doing these things, the BJP is exposing itself. They are aware that they cannot win the CMC polls and are trying to create confusion in the minds of the voters."