After about 3 decades, none from Adhikari family given ticket in Contai civic polls

KOLKATA: For the first time in the past three-and-a-half decade, not a single member of the Adhikari family has been allowed to contest in the civic election of the Contai Municipality.

In such a scenario, there is a strong resentment brewing among a section of BJP leaders as the party did not give ticket to Soumendu Adhikari for the forthcoming municipal election. Sishir Adhikari was the chairman of Contai Municipality even during the Left Front regime.

Later, as Trinamool leader, Sisir Adhikari's family's five members used to hold one post or the other. Suvendu was the Transport minister, his brother Dibyendu was MP, Soumendu was the chairman of Contai municipality and his wife was a councillor.

After the tenure of Contai municipality ended, Soumendu was made the administrator. Later, he joined BJP following the footsteps of his father and brother.

Political experts opined that the dropping of Soumendu clearly indicated that Suvendu was no longer in the good books of BJP's central leadership.

BJP has fielded actor Hiron, MLA from Kharagpur Sadar seat, as a candidate for Kharagpur Municipality. Hiron withdrew himself from the party's WhatsApp group and criticised Dilip Ghosh, party's national vice president openly. Infighting in BJP once again came out in the open when some party activists ransacked the car and smashed the window panes of the house of Tushar Mukherjee, party's convenor. In North Bengal, party workers ransacked the office at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar after their leaders were denied tickets.