The Trinamool Congress faction aligned with Ritabrata Banerjee locked down the South Dinajpur district party office in Gangarampur town on Monday.
The incident occurred just before leaders aligned with former chief minister Mamata Banerjee arrived for a preparatory meeting regarding the party’s July 21 rally organised in Calcutta every year.
Among those present were Kumarganj MLA and former district Trinamool chairman Toraf Hossain Mondal, former district president Mrinal Sarkar, party leaders Mofizuddin Miah and Gautam Das, along with party workers from different panchayats.
Sources said when district leaders, an MLA and others turned up at the office, they found the main entrance locked.
The caretaker, who reportedly holds the keys to the office, was unavailable throughout the day and could not be reached by phone.
The leaders waited for nearly two hours and then held the meeting at a nearby club.
The Ritabrata faction had taken control of the party office in Calcutta last week, leading to a tussle between the factions.
“The district office in South Dinajpur has largely remained under the influence of supporters of Biplab Mitra, the Trinamool MLA of Harirampur, who is now aligned with the faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee,” said a Trinamool worker.
“That is why the office was deliberately kept locked to prevent the meeting convened by leaders loyal to Mamata Banerjee,” he added.
Mrinal Sarkar said the caretaker had been missing since morning and his phone was switched off.
“A section of people are playing ‘dirty politics’ within the party. Those who are not with Mamata Banerjee would not be allowed to lead the party in the district,” said Sarkar.
Attempts were made to contact MLA Mitra, but he did not receive calls.
Bapi Sarkar, a district general secretary of the BJP, said: “This reflects the growing divisions within Trinamool. Like Calcutta, infighting has now surfaced within the party also in South Dinajpur.”