The police in Malda arrested a BJP leader on Friday night in connection with the April 18 attack on Gopal Chandra Saha, the BJP candidate of the Maldaha Assembly constituency who survived a bullet wound.

The arrest of Nitai Mandal, who is the president of the BJP’s rural area committee in Old Malda, has come against the backdrop of claims that the firing at Saha, who is also the district general secretary of the BJP, was the fallout of acute infighting.

On April 18 evening, while Saha was returning from a campaign, he was shot at, and the bullet hit his neck. He had to undergo a surgery and is recuperating.

His family members had filed a complaint with the police, prompting a probe.

Initially, a section of BJP leaders, including party’s state general secretary Sayantan Basu, had accused Trinamul of the attack. Trinamul, however, had denied the charges and have pointed to infighting within the saffron camp.

As policemen continued their investigation into the case, they arrested seven persons a week after the incident.

“During a thorough interrogation by our officers, these people spilled the beans. We got some vital information based on which Nitai Mandal has been arrested,” said Alok Rajoria, the district police chief of Malda.

The police have also come to know that after Saha’s name was announced as Maldaha’s candidate, there had been much anger and prolonged demonstrations by many BJP workers.

“Nitai Mandal and his associates were behind these protests. We need to find out whether the attack was organised because Gopal Chandra Saha was made the candidate or there is some other motive,” said a police officer.

Mandal’s family members, however, claimed that he has been the victim of a conspiracy.

The arrest has left the district BJP leaders red-faced. None of them was ready to make any comment on the issue.

Trinamul leaders, however, have reacted to it.

“These BJP leaders were blaming us for the attack on their candidate. Now, it has been proved that it is a consequence of their own feud within the party. The truth has been revealed,” said Jahar Ghosh, a Trinamul leader of Old Malda.