Members of citizen forum protest against financial malpractice of BJP candidate

Raiganj: Members of ‘Raiganj Nagarik Mancha’ on Sunday led an agitation against Manas Kumar Ghosh, the BJP candidate for the Raiganj Assembly by-elections. They blocked the Raiganj-Balurghat State Highway at Bogram for an hour alleging that he was involved in the misappropriation of Panchayat funds and that he had cheated farmers. They also urged the residents not to cast their votes in favour of Ghosh. A similar agitation was also held at Palpara in Bahin.

Earlier, Manas Kumar Ghosh owed allegiance to the Congress. Before the 2018 Panchayat elections, he had left Congress and joined TMC. In the Panchayat elections, he had contested as TMC candidate from a seat in the Raiganj Panchayat Samity. After winning, he was made the ‘Saha-Sabhapati’ of Raiganj Panchayat Samity. In 2023, he again joined the BJP. Now he is contesting with a BJP ticket from the Raiganj Assembly.

Amar Dey, a member of Raiganj Nagarik Mancha said, “In the 2020-2021 fiscal, the authorities of Raiganj Panchayat Samity with Manas Kumar Ghosh as the ‘Sahakari Sabhapati’ had allotted Rs 9.7 lakh for the renovation of a crematorium at Makra in Bahin. Fund was allocated but no work was done in the crematorium. He was also involved in collecting excess crops from farmers known as ‘dhalta’ through middlemen

when the farmers would visit to sell their paddy in Krishna Mandi. If he wins he may engage in other illegal activities to cheat residents. We appeal to people not to cast their votes in favour of such a dishonest person.”

Manas Kumar Ghosh, BJP candidate said, “All these are false allegations against me. They should have protested when I was in TMC.” Krishna Kalyani, a TMC candidate said, “If anybody is involved in such immoral work, he will have to face the consequences.”