Violence and political tension marked the first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections on Thursday, as clashes were reported in Murshidabad district between workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and supporters of Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP) chief Humayun Kabir.

The unrest was reported from Naoda, where crude bombs were allegedly thrown near Shivnagar Primary School, creating panic among residents and voters. According to officials, a woman sustained injuries in the incident. While some reports suggested the attack took place the previous night, others claimed the crude bomb was hurled during polling hours, raising concerns over voter safety.

As tensions mounted, Humayun Kabir, who recently floated his own political party after parting ways with the TMC, accused the ruling party of intimidation and violence. Speaking amid the chaos, Kabir said, “I have taken over their sleep at night, in Murshidabad there won't be anything as Trinamool, there is hooliganism... He is doing hooliganism in Nawada, I will remove him from the chair in Berhampore... Till the people vote here peacefully, I won't go from here.”

Kabir’s arrival at the scene further escalated the confrontation, as TMC workers raised slogans against him, leading to heated exchanges between the rival camps. In response, Trinamool Congress MP Abu Taher Khan blamed Kabir’s party for the violence, alleging that AUJP supporters were responsible for the bomb attack.

Humayun Kabir, the sitting MLA from Bharatpur constituency in Murshidabad, is contesting the election under the banner of his newly formed Aam Janata Unnayan Party. He was suspended from the Trinamool Congress in December last year after his controversial remarks proposing the construction of a Babri-like mosque, which sparked political backlash.

Elsewhere, polling was also affected in Mothabari constituency, where voting at the Balua Chara High School booth was reportedly disrupted after the sector officer went missing amid an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunction, according to ANI.

The next phase of polling in West Bengal is scheduled for April 29, while the counting of votes for West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry will take place on May 4. With incidents of violence already surfacing in the opening phase, concerns over security and smooth conduct of the remaining polls remain high.