In less than 24 hours of the announcement of the Trinamool Congress list of candidates for the Assembly polls, which saw 74 sitting MLAs being dropped, widespread protests over the exclusions caused considerable embarrassment to the party leadership.
While many sitting MLAs denied tickers publicly voiced their resentment at being dropped, many of their supporters took to the streets, blocking roads and warning that they would not work for the party ahead of the elections.
The nomination of “outsiders” in certain constituencies also fuelled discontent.
Amid all this, in Hooghly’s Chinsurah, some party workers celebrated sitting MLA Asit Mazumdar not getting a ticket.
A list of constituencies that saw protests on Wednesday:
Amdanga
In Amdanga of North 24-Parganas, Trinamool supporters erupted in protest soon after the announcement of candidates as sitting MLA Rafiqur Rahaman was denied a ticket. A large number of local leaders and workers refused to accept Pirzada Kashemi Siddiqui as the replacement. Furious workers gathered at Kashimpur gram panchayat, staged demonstrations and blocked the Amdanga–Kankinara road, disrupting traffic.
Rahaman, expressing his discontent, said: “I will appeal to the party leadership to reconsider the nomination in my favour, respecting the emotions of party workers. Else, it will be tough to retain the seat.”
Khandaghosh
In East Burdwan’s Khandaghosh constituency, protests broke out over the renomination of Nabin Chandra Bag. Led by block committee president Aparthib Islam and zilla parishad member Biswanath Roy, workers warned that unless Bag was replaced, several functionaries — including the block president and multiple zonal presidents — would resign and not campaign for the party.
Monteswar
Violent clashes were reported at Monteswar of East Burdwan following the renomination of Siddiqullah Chowdhury. In Dignagar village, supporters of Chowdhury clashed with followers of Monteswar panchayat samiti chief Ahmed Hossain, allegedly hurling bombs at each other. Police and central forces had to resort to lathicharge to bring the situation under control.
Memari
In Memari, East Burdwan, Trinamool replaced its sitting MLA Madhusudan Bhattacharya with youth wing leader Rasbehari Halder. Halder visited Memari to launch his campaign, but hardly any workers took part, indicating the underlying discontent.
Canning
In Canning, South 24-Parganas, supporters close to sitting MLA Saokat Molla staged protests, opposing the shifting of his candidature to Bhangar. Molla, also the party observer for Bhangar, has been fielded there to take on the ISF. However, Trinamool party workers in Canning opposed the nomination of Baharul Islam as Molla’s replacement, branding him an “outsider.”
A visibly unhappy Molla said: “I will speak to (party national general secretary) Abhishek Banerjee on this issue.”
Canning Purba has long been considered a bastion of Saokat Molla.
Farakka
In Murshidabad’s Farakka, denied a ticket, MLA Manirul Islam signalled his exit from the party. Last month, he was accused of leading a mob that ransacked the BDO office during an SIR hearing. Replaced by newcomer Amirul Islam, Manirul alleged he had been made a “sacrificial goat”. “I will contest the election, but will take the final call later. Many Trinamool leaders will resign to stand by me,” he claimed.
Chinsurah
In Chinsurah, MLA Asit Mazumdar announced his decision to quit politics after being denied renomination. A three-time MLA known for his abrasive style, he was replaced by the party’s IT cell chief Debangshu Bhattacharya. “I am not the party’s servant,” he said when asked if he would continue working for Trinamool. Some party workers in the constituency celebrated his exclusion by distributing sweets and bursting crackers.
Balagarh
In Hooghly’s Balagarh, MLA Manoranjan Byapari expressed dissatisfaction after being denied renomination and replaced by Ranjan Dhyara. Known as a writer who rose from a marginalised background, Byapari indicated in a Facebook post that the decision was “expected,” citing his opposition to sand mining, soil extraction, cattle smuggling, cannabis trade and tree felling in Sabujdwip.