Sagardighi, March 16: Around 70 Trinamul leaders, including 57 elected representatives, today resigned from the party in Murshidabad's Sagardighi protesting against the candidature of sitting MLA Subrata Saha, whom they called an "outsider".

The Trinamul leaders signed on three resignation letters and sent them to district party chief Mannan Hossain, who said he was yet to receive them.

"I am yet to receive the resignation letters. But I know there has been some problem within the party in Sagardighi," Hossain said.

While most of the Trinamul leaders cited the candidature of Saha for their decision to resign, some said they had been embarrassed by the Narada tapes showing some Trinamul MPs and MLAs purportedly taking money.

The resignation of so many leaders in the Congress stronghold of Murshidabad is bound to hit Mamata Banerjee's plans of taking on PCC president Adhir Chowdhury on his turf.

Saha was the only elected Trinamul MLA from the district before some defected from other parties.

The 70 leaders who resigned include 57 members of five gram panchayats and one panchayat samiti in Sagardighi block. The 13 others include the Trinamul working president of the Sagardighi block committee, Mudassar Hossain, and the Youth Trinamul block president, Debashis Banerjee.

Sources said discontent against Saha had been building up soon after he became an MLA.

"We were never happy with Subrata Saha and always considered him an outsider because he is a Behrampore resident. After he became the minister of state for PWD, he appointed outsiders as his assistants and recruited another person not from Sagardighi for handling projects. He does not consult us on any matters and behaves rudely with us," said Mohammad Ali, the former president of Sagardighi block committee and one of the 70 leaders who resigned.

Another Trinamul leader from Sagardighi said the Narada tapes triggered the decision. "We did not want to delay the resignation any further after the Narada sting put our party in embarrassment. We don't want any association with Trinamul. We will put up an Independent candidate against Subrata Saha," the Trinamul leader said.

Saha accused the CPM of conspiring against him. "Those who are speaking against me would have sabotaged the party if they remained in it. The people of Sagardighi are with me," said Saha.