A 13-year-old girl lost her life in an alleged bomb explosion in West Bengal’s Kaliganj on Monday amid the counting of votes in the lone by-poll seat that underwent polling on June 19. The incident occurred in the Melendi area of Barochandgar, under the Kaliganj police station limits, as TMC supporters took to the streets to celebrate their candidate Alifa Ahmed’s landslide win in the assembly by-poll. The girl, identified as Tamanna Khatun, was reportedly returning home when the explosion occurred. Locals claim the blast was caused by a crude bomb detonated amid the festivities, leaving the child critically injured. Despite being rushed to a nearby medical facility, she succumbed to her injuries. The police have sent the girl’s body for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the explosion.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed grief and assured stringent police action against the culprits, taking to X to share her condolences. “I am shocked and deeply saddened at the death of a young girl in an explosion at Barochandgar in Krishnanagar police district. My prayers and thoughts are with the family in their hour of grief,” she wrote. Banerjee assured swift action, stating, “Police shall take strong and decisive legal action against the culprits at the earliest.”
West Bengal Police confirmed the incident in a post on X that the 13-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries sustained from an explosion, but the nature of the explosion was yet to be confirmed. “We shall spare no stone unturned to nab the culprits who were behind the incident. Raids are on in full swing to arrest those responsible for this extremely unfortunate death. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family members of the deceased,” the post read.
The TMC’s victory in Kaliganj saw Alifa Ahmed, daughter of the late MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, whose death necessitated the bypoll, secure over 1,02,759 votes, defeating her nearest rival, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Ashish Ghosh, by a margin of 50,049 votes. The by-poll, held on June 19, recorded a 69.85% voter turnout and was seen as a significant test for TMC’s dominance in the region ahead of the 2026 state elections.
However, the tragic incident has sparked a political firestorm. The BJP has vehemently criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led government, alleging that the TMC’s victory celebrations were marred by violence. BJP’s West Bengal co-incharge, Amit Malviya, posted on X, condemning the incident: “TMC’s celebration ends with blood on its hands. Again. From TMC’s victory rally in Muslim-majority Kaliganj bypoll, bombs were hurled, and in the chaos, a little girl—Tamanna Khatun, a Class 4 student—was killed.” Malviya further accused the TMC of relying on “violent, vote-bank-driven politics” and questioned, “Is this the price of victory under Mamata Banerjee’s rule?”
Allegations have also surfaced, with claims that a bomb was thrown at the residence of a Communist Party of India (Marxist) supporter in the same area around the time of the explosion. The police are probing these claims but have not yet confirmed the motive or perpetrators behind the blast. “We have sent the body for post mortem. We will not spare anyone”, said IPS Amarnath K, Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishnanagar.
