TMC drops Abdul Karim Chowdhury from Islampur

Raiganj: In a significant political development, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has fielded Kanaia Lal Agarwal, replacing veteran leader and sitting MLA Abdul Karim Chowdhury from the Islampur Assembly constituency.

According to party sources, the decision was taken considering Chowdhury’s advancing age and his reported inability to actively manage election campaigns due to this. Chowdhury, a towering political figure in the region, has represented the Islampur seat multiple times and is regarded as one of the most experienced legislators in the state.

He had earlier been associated with the Congress before joining TMC and continued his winning streak in subsequent elections. Replacing him, the TMC has nominated Kanaia Lal Agarwal, the current president of the North Dinajpur district TMC committee and chairman of Islampur Municipality. Agarwal had earlier won the Islampur seat in 2016 as a Congress-backed Independent candidate before joining TMC.

Political observers note that the rivalry between Chowdhury and Agarwal has long been evident, often leading to factional divisions within the party at the grassroots level. This internal divide has, at times, impacted organisational cohesion in the constituency. Reacting to the development, Islampur block TMC president Jakir Hossain said that the party needed a more active candidate to handle the upcoming election campaign. “Abdul Karim Chowdhury has reached an advanced age and is not in a position to organise the campaign effectively. We had proposed Kanaialal Agarwal’s name and we are pleased that the leadership accepted it,” he stated.

Agarwal expressed confidence about his candidature and said, “I will contest the election with full strength and secure victory for the party.” Chowdhury was unavailable for comment on the issue.

In a related development, the TMC has also reportedly changed its candidate in Kaliyaganj, fielding Nitai Baisya, president of the Kaliyaganj block TMC committee, in place of former candidate Tapan Roy Singha, who had lost the 2021 election. The developments indicate a strategic reshuffle by the ruling party as it gears up for the crucial state polls.