Kolkata: The rift in Bengal BJP is out in the open ahead of bypolls to the prestigious Falakata assembly seat in Bengal’s Alipurduar district with a section of workers threatening to quit if district party president Ganga Prasad Sharma is not removed by the state leadership.
The Falakata assembly seat fell vacant after TMC MLA Anil Adhikari died of cancer on October 31 last year. The bypoll has become a prestige battle for the BJP to avenge its “humiliating defeat” in the recently held Kaliaganj, Kharagpur and Karimpur by-elections.
A section of district BJP workers expressed their resentment towards BJP’s Alipurduar president for allegedly favouring his loyalists and ignoring others who have been in the party for long.
On Wednesday evening, a large number of BJP workers and block presidents gathered at Birsa Munda Ground in Alipurduar and raised slogans against Ganga Prasad Sharma.
Sandeep Ekka, one of the protesting BJP workers, said, “Our district president indulges in favouritism. He is ignoring the sentiments and demand of the veteran party workers. We felt that we were ignored by the party and therefore we have decided not to work under Ganga Prasad Sharma. If he is not removed from the post, there will be mass resignations.”
Echoing Ekka’s sentiments, another senior BJP worker, Gautam Sarkar, said, “Our district president is not acting impartially. He is favouring those who are following his orders whether it is right or wrong. He doesn’t like those who question his wrong decisions. If the situation continues, this will impact the Falakata assembly by-election.”
When contacted Sharma accused the ruling TMC of fanning discontent. “They are acting on instructions of the TMC. The ruling party workers bought them. All allegations against me are false. These people want me and state BJP president Dilip Ghosh to resign. They don’t have any explanation behind their demand.”
Sharma added that the issue will have no impact on the bypoll. “We are winning this seat for sure,” he said.
Similar rifts were seen in Bankura district after a section of BJP workers protested in front of BJP MP Subhash Sarkar. They raised slogans against Chhatna block president Siddheshwar Kundu and demanded his immediate removal.
“Our Chhatna block president Siddheshwar Kundu has miserably failed in running the party in Chhanta. We felt that the party will collapse under his leadership and, therefore, we want our MP to replace him with other efficient party workers,” one of the agitators, Deepak Mondal, said.
Responding to the protests, Bankura BJP president Vivekananda Patra said, “These are the party’s internal matters and will be resolved soon.”
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