TMC begins poll campaign in Raiganj as BJP faces dissent

Raiganj: Raiganj TMC MLA Krishna Kalyani began campaigning for party candidates on Monday morning even as the BJP grappled with dissension in its ranks ahead of the Panchayat polls in West Bengal.

Kalyani and all Gram Panchayat candidates of Kamalabari -1 and Kamalabari -2 Gram Panchayats along with candidate for Panchayat Samity Chandan Das and Zilla Parishad candidate Pratima Sarkar launched the campaign.

However, in the BJP camp, there is a revolt in the rank and file over the choice of candidates. “We have started campaigning, elucidating the development work and welfare schemes, including Lakshmir Bhandar, Kanyashree, Rupashree, student scholarships, promotion of Self-Help Groups and other social schemes as the stress area. We found that people are happy with the activities of our state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. We hope our TMC candidates will win in all GP, PS and ZP seats in Raiganj block” stated Kalyani.

On the other hand, a section of BJP members had launched an agitation at the district party office on Sunday afternoon, demanding replacement of candidate Bhupal Roy from 21 number Kaliyaganj Zilla Parishad.

Roy recently joined the BJP from TMC. He was then given a ZP ticket. A section of BJP supporters demanded that the party ticket should go to a BJP member who has been with the party longer than Roy, failing which they have threatened an agitation. “Our district secretary of ST Morcha, Kartick Pahan and a veteran BJP leader Naresh Malakar also submitted nominations from 21 Kaliyaganj ZP seat. We demand before the BJP district president to select one of them in place of Bhupal Roy as the ZP candidate from Kaliyaganj seat. Roy is not liked as he recently crossed over from the TMC.”