Protesting BJP workers demand ouster of Mukul Roy

Darjeeling: Irked over the party's candidature in some Assembly constituencies, BJP supporters continued staging protests against the party and demanded ouster of BJP national vice-president Mukul Roy.

Supporters of the saffron camp took out a rally in Jalpaiguri on Friday demanding the ouster of Roy and Jalpaiguri district president Bapi Goswamy from the party.

Trouble broke out on Thursday after the BJP made public a list of 148 candidates to take part in the fray in Bengal Assembly elections.

On Friday, BJP supporters took out a rally at Desh Bandhu Road in Jalpaiguri protesting the candidature of Sujit Singha.

They carried a banner demanding the ouster of Mukul Roy and Goswamy alleging that the duo had conspired to keep BJP state vice-president Dipen Pramanik out of the fray.

Earlier on Thursday evening, the workers had set the BJP party office on fire at DBC Road protesting the candidature of Sujit Singha. Similar protests were seen in Mainaguri and Rajgunj. BJP party offices were ransacked and furniture was torched.

Meanwhile in Sitai (Cooch Behar), BJP district vice-president Bhabenchandra Roy switched over to the TMC. "The BJP-led Union government's stand is anti-farmers and anti-workers. They promote privatisation. Protesting against these policies, I have joined the TMC," added Roy.