BJP workers up in arms against Dinajpur candidates

BALURGHAT: A group of angry BJP workers ransacked their party offices in both South and North Dinajpur districts over the selection of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls in Bengal.

In South Dinajpur, the saffron workers ransacked the party office at Buniadpur on Thursday night for the selection of candidate of Harirampur Assembly constituency. The party on the same day announced Nilanjan Roy's name as the candidate for the seat. But, the protesters declared Roy as an 'outsider.' The agitators shouted slogans against Roy and BJP's Balurghat MP Dr Sukanta Majumdar, demanding cancellation of the candidature. The fiery crowd damaged furniture and party flexes. They burnt tyres in front of the party office and demanded a local candidate for the seat. "We have already delivered our demand to the higher authority of the party. Nilanjan Roy is not a local candidate and therefore he must be replaced," said an agitator Dipak Sutradhar.

Notably, the BJP has announced its candidates for five Assembly seats in South Dinajpur except Balurghat.

Criticising the demonstration, Trinamool district chairman and Harirampur candidate Biplab Mitra said: "Everyone in BJP wants to get a ticket. The party has no organisation here in the district. It shows lack of discipline within the party."

BJP's district president Binay said the misunderstandings would be cleared soon.

In North Dinajpur's Chakulia, BJP workers ransacked the local party office demanding immediate change of candidate for Chakulia seat. The party had announced Sachin Prasad's name for the seat.

They raised slogans against BJP's Raiganj MP and minister Debasree Chaudhuri accusing her for the selection. They burnt posters of Chaudhuri and blocked the local road for about an hour. BJP's North Dinajpur party president Biswajit Lahiri said the matter would be resolved soon.