Alipurduar: Congress workers on Thursday locked the party’s Alipurduar district office, protesting against the selection of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections.
The agitation began in the morning with party workers staging a demonstration outside the office. Later, under the leadership of state general secretary Santanu Debnath, the protesters locked the office, escalating their protest.
The workers alleged that “outsider” and “unqualified” candidates had been nominated in several Assembly constituencies of the district to benefit the Trinamool Congress. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of these candidates and called for the selection of local nominees.
The agitators warned that the district office would remain closed until their demands are met and said no party worker would be allowed to enter the premises. Speaking to reporters, Santanu Debnath said that candidates had been announced on Wednesday for five Assembly constituencies—Kumargram, Alipurduar, Kalchini, Falakata, and Madarihat—and alleged that all five nominees were outsiders.
“This is unacceptable under any circumstances. The office will remain closed until the elections are over if the candidate list is not changed,”
he said.