Panic and disorder marked the TMC’s election rally in the Nowda Assembly constituency this Sunday as two factions of the party clashed violently just before the arrival of National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Supporters of the party candidate Sahina Mumtaz and local leader Safiuzzaman Habib engaged in a fierce brawl, throwing chairs at each other and leaving several workers injured.

According to local sources, the tension had been brewing since the candidate announcement, as Habib’s faction was reportedly unhappy with Sahina’s nomination. The spark was ignited over seating arrangements in front of the stage. A supporter of Sahina alleged that he was forcibly removed from his seat and beaten with chairs. The situation escalated quickly, turning the rally ground into a battlefield until the police intervened to restore order.

Upon reaching the stage, a visible furious Abhishek Banerjee issued a stern warning to the unruly workers. “If you wear the party jersey but play for the opposition, you will be shown a ‘Red Card’ and kicked out of the field within a month. You won’t be allowed back for the rest of your life,” he declared. While Safiuzzaman Habib later tried to downplay the incident as an “emotional outburst,” the public display of factionalism has raised concerns about the party’s unity in the Murshidabad district ahead of the 2026 polls.