Raiganj: An RSP office was ransacked near Balurghat on Tuesday by villagers enraged by the party's decision to field a candidate in a panchayat seat despite their decision to boycott the rural polls to protest the bad condition of roads.

Sources said around 1,200 residents of Chakmadhab, Kutubpur and Chingra, three villages located under Amritakhanda panchayat under Balurghat block, attacked the RSP office at Kamarpara.

"We have to pass through Kamarpara to reach Balurghat or Hilli. The road that connects our villages with Kamarpara is in the worst condition. During the rainy season, one can't even walk through the road which goes under knee-deep water. We have approached block officials and elected representatives several times but nothing has been done so far," said a resident.

The villagers held a meeting and decided to boycott the panchayat elections as no initiative was taken to repair the road.

"It was also decided that none of the residents would file nominations on behalf of any political party," the resident added.

On Monday, the residents came to know that a section of local RSP leaders had fielded a local woman as the candidate for the panchayat ward under which the three villages fall.

A group of residents walked up to the RSP office and vandalised it on Tuesday afternoon. Police arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control.

South Dinajpur district RSP leaders, however, blamed Trinamul for the vandalism.

"We have fielded a woman candidate in the seat. Trinamul leaders had initially decided to keep away from the fray. As a new notification was issued by the state election commission (regarding extension of nomination date), they went to the block office to submit nomination on Tuesday. However, as the order was revoked, they could not field a candidate in the seat. Out of disappointment, they ransacked our office," said Bimalendu Sarkar, an RSP leader.

Trinamul has denied the charge. "People got angry as some RSP leaders convinced the woman to file her nomination. They have defied the decision taken by villagers and hence, a section of them attacked the RSP office," said a local Trinamul leader.