Vehicles and furniture outside the rented house of the Trinamul Congress’s Bhagabangola MLA Idris Ali were vandalised in Murshidabad district on Monday evening allegedly by over 50 local party leaders and workers led by Mostafa Sheikh, who accused the legislator of having taken lakhs of rupees with a promise to promote him in the organisation.

Sheikh alleged that Ali had promised to elevate him to the position of the ruling party’s Bhagabangola I block unit chief and taken the money. Sheikh is currently the chief of Trinamul’s Sundarpur anchal (area) unit.Sources said instead of Sheikh, his rival in Trinamul, Sabir Master, was made the Bhagabangola I block unit chief. “He (Ali) has taken a lot of money, lakhs and lakhs of rupees, from me. Now, he cannot do this. He should either give me the post or refund the cash,” said Sheikh.

“The MLA also raised money in the name of giving Trinamul tickets (candidature) in the panchayat elections next year,” Sheikh added, shortly before getting himself admitted to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital with a complaint of chest pain. Ali has filed a complaint with Bhagabangola police against Sheikh for the vandalism. The vandalism happened shortly after a meeting of local Trinamul workers had ended at Ali’s rented home in Subarnamrigi, 30km from Murshidabad district headquarters Behrampore.

“Over 50 Trinamul workers led by Sheikh arrived at Ali’s home and went about ransacking chairs and tables placed outside for the meeting, besides some cars parked there. The MLA and his aides went inside the residence and locked themselves in,” said a witness.

“They were repeatedly abusing Ali verbally. They were threatening him with murder. Nobody really tried to stop them,” added the witness. Ali is a former MP and a resident of Calcutta. “He is an opportunist outsider who has done the party a great deal of disservice here in just one year,” said a local Trinamul leader.

Ali has denied the allegations levelled by Sheikh. “Never in my five decades of public life have I taken even Rs 10 from anybody,” said the MLA who wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee informing her about the incident and seeking justice.

“Actually, there are many complaints of corruption against Sheikh, and he fears that he will be brought to book and will lose power. That is why he has become so desperate,” Ali added.

District Trinamul president Shaoni Singha Roy said she had informed the state leadership about the vandalism. “We have urged police to take necessary action… we will not interfere. The party is also conducting a probe and will take necessary action,” said Singha Roy.

District police chief K. Sabari Raj Kumar said on the basis of Ali’s complaint, two Trinamul workers had been arrested. “Bhagabanhola police are keeping a close watch on Sheikh’s health and are examining CCTV footage of the premises of the MLA’s residence to identify the vandals.”