Factionalism looming large on Bengal BJP ranks

Kolkata: With less than a month left for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, factionalism seems to have taken a toll on BJP's prospects in Bengal. Discontent seems to be brewing in the party due to a growing level of dissatisfaction over selection of candidates in various parts.

After Cooch Behar, Burdwan East and Mathurapur in South 24-Parganas, resentment in the BJP camp once again came to the fore after a senior BJP leader from Hooghly expressed her dissatisfaction over the selection of Locket Chatterjee as a candidate.

Rajkumari Keshri, a senior leader of BJP in Hooghly, reacted sharply to state BJP president Dilip Ghosh's statement where he said whoever will raise a protest against the candidature will be shown the door.

Retorting to Ghosh's comment, Keshri said that she had joined BJP after being inspired by stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani. She also stated that she would not take any lesson from Ghosh. "I did not come to politics after seeing Dilip Ghosh or Locket Chatterjee. Ghosh can leave the party if he wishes to do so," she said.

It may be mentioned here that Bengal BJP vice-president Raj Kamal Pathak has already resigned from the post after his party did not field him as a candidate. It was learnt

that Pathak wanted to contest either from Sreerampur or Hooghly.

A section of BJP supporters and activists on Saturday conducted protest rallies at Mandirbazar under the Mathurapur Parliamentary Constituency, vehemently opposing the candidature of Shyamaprasad Halder, who has been fielded as a candidate.

Some of the local leaders also threatened to field an independent candidate if the candidature is not changed. They have also threatened to organise another rally soon, with more than 1,000 activists.