Kolkata: The BJP has fielded a second candidate from the Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency who submitted his nomination on Thursday.
The party had previously fielded ex-IPS officer Debashsish Dhar from the Birbhum Lok Sabha seat. He had submitted his nominations and had started his campaigns but on Thursday another BJP leader Debtanu Bhattacharya also filed nominations from the same seat. It reportedly came to light that BJP sources have said that Debtanu has been fielded as a “back-up” candidate due to certain complications in the documents submitted by the first candidate Debashish Dhar. Coincidentally, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, during her Birbhum rally, had said that the state government has not given “clearance” to Debashish yet.
However, Debashish is learnt to have alleged that Banerjee is spreading lies since she is no one to give him a clearance as he was appointed by the Central government and had sent his resignation to the Centre. He said that the President of India also gave the nod and the state government had informed him of this development. “I have submitted my nomination after my resignation was accepted,” he said.
Sources said that a section of the BJP workers were dissatisfied with the party’s decision to field Dhar and hence Debtanu Bhattacharya, who was involved with the party’s organisational work in East Burdwan, was fielded.