Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) Following the announcement of the candidate list for Assembly polls, internal strife within the Trinamool Congress came to light in several constituencies since Tuesday night.
In Khandaghosh and Monteswar Assembly constituencies in East Burdwan district, infighting erupted soon after the names of candidates were announced.
In the Khandaghosh constituency, resentment began to brew within the party ranks following the announcement of Nabina Bag as the party candidate.
A section of the party's leaders and workers issued a warning that unless the candidate is replaced, several Trinamool functionaries — including the Block President, multiple Zonal Presidents, would resign from their party posts and remain inactive during the election campaign.
"We will not accept Nabina Bag as the Trinamool candidate for the Khandaghosh Assembly seat," issuing this warning, a host of Trinamool leaders decided to resign from their posts.
Ranging from the Block President to several Zonal Presidents, the aggrieved leaders alleged that the party accords respect to those who betray its interests from within its ranks.
They claimed that those who have fought for the party since its inception — enduring imprisonment and remaining away from their homes for days on end — have today become marginalised and sidelined within the party organisation.
Meanwhile, immediately following the announcement of Siddiqullah Chowdhury's name as the candidate from Monteshwar constituency, the area became heated by factional infighting within the Trinamool Congress.
A physical altercation broke out in Dignagar village between supporters of Siddiqullah Chowdhury and those of Ahmed Hossain, the President of the Monteswar Panchayat Samiti.
Allegations have also surfaced that both factions resorted to hurling bombs. To restore order, personnel from the Monteswar Police Station and central forces were deployed to the scene.
To bring the situation under control, the police were compelled to baton charge the crowd. Reports indicate that one person was injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, Rajganj constituency's outgoing MLA, Khageshwar Roy, in Jalpaiguri district in north Bengal resigned from the party post after his name was not announced as a candidate.
The new party candidate from his constituency is Indian athlete Swapna Barman who had won a gold medal in Asiad 2018 and joined the Trinamool Congress last month.
Khageshwar Roy has been with Mamata Banerjee in north Bengal since the formation of the Trinamool Congress in 1998. He won from Rajganj first in a bye-election in 2009. After that, he has been a sitting MLA from Rajganj from 2011.
Khageshwar claimed, "I lost to money today! When the Chief Minister left the Congress and formed her own party, I was with her. Surely some leader has given such money that my name was left out for that. A person who never worked for the Trinamool party, is a candidate in my Constituency. I have resigned from the party post over the injustice done to me. Rajganj seat (seat) Trinamool will lose. Here I have created the foundation of the team."
--IANS
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