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Bengal

Amid protests, BJP announces names of 4 candidates for third phase

Kolkata: On the day when BJP announced the names of the four candidates for the third phase of the upcoming Assembly elections, the agitation of old-timers continued in different parts of the state demanding cancellation of the nominees announced earlier.

Earlier on Sunday, the saffron party had announced names of 27 candidates for the third phase elections. But the BJP leaders had failed to publish the names of four candidates for the third phase.

The list announced on Wednesday included actor Papiya Adhikari who recently joined BJP and will contest from Uluberia South constituency against Trinamool Congress candidate Pulak Roy. In Jagatballavpur constituency, BJP's candidate is Anupam Ghosh against TMC's Sitanath Ghosh.

In South 24-Parganas, BJP's candidate in Falta Assembly constituency is Bidhan Parui. He will contest against the TMC's Sankar Kumar Naskar. In the Baruipur East constituency, BJP has nominated Chandan Mondal against TMC's Bidhan Sardar.

Meanwhile, Derek O'Brien, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP, had tweeted earlier in the day: "Trinamool has announced candidates for 291 seats. The 'tourist gang' have announced 121 candidates. 173 still not announced #BengalElection2021 #KhelaHobe" Not everyone from Delhi-Noida 'godi-media' is in Mo-Shah's back pocket. Ground report from 'independent media'."

BJP old-timers had put up a roadblock on Sonarpur-Harinavi Road demanding the replacement of party's nominee from Sonarpur South seat, actor Anjana Basu.

Calling her an 'outsider', the party supporters shouted slogans against the actor. They said there were better candidates in the area who have been ignored.

The fight between the old party workers and new entrants continued in Singur with the old guards staging a demonstration in the area on the fourth consecutive day on Wednesday, demanding the replacement of candidate Rabindranath Bhattacharya, who had recently joined the party from Trinamool Congress. On Sunday, after the list was announced, the old-timers had locked up BJP leaders who were holding a meeting in a lodge.

On Wednesday, several BJP supporters refused to campaign along with the turncoats who had jumped the ship from TMC — alleging that the latter had stopped them from casting vote in the Panchayat elections once. Thus, it was not possible for them to work together.

Similar agitations were held at Magrahat, Kultuli, Uttarpara, Champdani, Panchla, Udaynarayanpur to demand replacement of candidates.

Meanwhile, the central leadership has made it very clear that the candidates cannot be changed due to time constraints. Political experts maintained that there would be more agitation when the names of the remaining candidates, particularly those contesting from 11 Kolkata seats, are announced.

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