Kolkata: On the last day of polling, a heated argument turned into a full-blown fight between CPM candidate Tanmay Bhattacharya and a Trinamool Congress councillor in the Baranagar Vidhan Sabha bypolls. The incident took place in front of a polling booth at Brahmananda Keshab Chandra College where Tanmay clashed with councillor Shantanu Majumdar. At one point, members from both parties had to step in to stop the fight from getting out of hands, according to local reports.

Tanmay claimed that the councillor hurled abuses at him, calling him "chor" and "cheater" as he was visiting several polling booths in the constituency. Talking to local reporters, Tanmay alleged that the TMC councillor, along with his associates, confronted him as he reached the polling center at Keshab Chandra College. "They asked me why am I even here? I said that I am a candidate from this constituency. I asked the councillor what is business was over here. They started calling me thief and cheater and asked me to get out of there. In turn, I told them I am not serving jail. What kind of a thief am I?," he told reporters.

According to locals, the councillor rushed towards Tanmay after he saw the Left candidate entering the polling booth. After confronting Tanmay on why he has come, Tanmay pushed the councillor away, according to locals. Following that, the councillor pushed Tanmay back and the two got engaged in a fight, locals further added, according to media reports.

Accepting that a fight broke out, Tanmay told reporters that TMC workers came running towards him instead as he was talking with a friend's daughter. While Tanmay said that he will take it up with the ECI, TMC alleged that it was Tanmay who was provoking TMC workers and polling agents since morning.