Dagram-Fulbari seat: BJP leader turns Independent

Kolkata: An old BJP leader, Alok Sen, will contest as an Independent candidate from Dabgram-Fulbari seat after alleging that Mukul Roy, the party's national vice-president, has converted the saffron party into Trinamool's B-team.

Sen, BJP general secretary of Jalpaiguri, alleged that Roy had given importance to the Trinamool turncoats. The old guards became agitated after Sikha Chatterjee was made the candidate from Dabgram-Fulbari seat.

The old timers had sent a letter to the state leadership urging them to change the candidate. On getting no response, Sen and others decided to quit the party.

The old timers have refused to work for Chatterjee. Sen said about 170 old BJP supporters were contesting in the forthcoming elections as Independent candidates.

Meanwhile, infighting among the old guards and the new entrants has taken a new turn after the All India Jana Sangh decided to field candidates in Gaighata, Bagda, Bongaon North and South.

Dulal Bar, who recently resigned as the president of BJP's SC/ST Morcha, is likely to contest from Gaighata.

The Matuas alleged that they were fed up with Amit Shah as he did not specify any date as to when the CAA would be implemented. Pressurized by the Matua community, Shantanu Thakur refused to contest in the elections and his elder brother Subrata was made the candidate from Gaighata. This infuriated the old BJP workers who refused to work for Thakur.

Debashis Bhattacharya,

the All India Jana Sangh state secretary, said: "The present BJP has deviated from the path of Dindayal Upadhaya

and Syama Prasad Mookerjee. People are fed up with their anti-people decisions. The party will field candidates in 220 seats."

The state BJP leadership

is in real trouble in Matua-dominated areas as they are not thoroughly disillusioned with the dilatory tactics of Amit Shah.