Kolkata: The BJP’s first candidate list for the West Bengal Assembly elections has sparked sharp internal dissent, particularly in Mahishadal, where the nomination of political newcomer Subhash Panja has led to a backlash.
Following his selection, senior party functionaries Biswanath Banerjee (Tamluk organisational district member) and Dipak Kumar Jana (general secretary, Mahishadal Mandal V) announced their resignation from the party. Both leaders made it clear that their exit was directly linked to dissatisfaction over the candidate choice.
Banerjee went a step further, openly criticising the party, stating that the BJP is increasingly functioning like a “corporate entity” and that he no longer wishes to remain associated with it. Jana also warned that this was just the beginning, claiming that more resignations could follow not only in Mahishadal but across Bengal, including Nandigram, Haldia and Tamluk.
The unrest is not limited to East Midnapore. In Alipurduar, BJP workers vandalised the district party office and staged protests, including burning tyres, opposing the candidature of Paritosh Das. Similar discontent has been reported in Kumargram.
The scale and intensity of the backlash underline deep organisational cracks within the BJP just ahead of the elections, with grassroots workers openly rebelling against leadership decisions on candidate selection.