The BJP is grappling with internal dissent across north Bengal, with violent protests being reported from multiple Assembly constituencies over candidate
selection.

In the Darjeeling hills, several local BJP leaders have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the nominees for two seats.

Senior BJP leaders in the hills have issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the central leadership to reconsider the candidates.

Manoj Dewan, a former president of the BJP’s hill district unit and a state committee member, said their concerns were formally communicated to the central and state leadership, including the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.

“We have requested the leadership to reconsider the candidates for two constituencies. We will wait for 24 hours. If our appeal is ignored, we will decide our next course of action at a meeting with district representatives and unit members on Sunday,”
Dewan said.

The BJP on Thursday announced Noman Rai, youth president of the Bimal Gurung-led Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, as its candidate from Darjeeling, former Indian hockey team captain Bharat Chhetri from Kalimpong, and BJP leader Sonam Lama from Kurseong.

A day after the announcement, disgruntled BJP leaders from the hills convened a meeting at a private conference hall in Sukna, on the outskirts of Siliguri.

After the meeting, the leaders said they would refrain from commenting on the Darjeeling seat, which had been allotted to the Morcha, a BJP partner. However, they objected to the selections for Kalimpong and Kurseong, arguing that district-level leaders had not been consulted regarding the candidates.

“The candidates for Kalimpong and Kurseong appear to have been selected unilaterally by Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista and the district president, without any discussion with district committee members,” Dewan said.

BJP has been plagued by dissent in the Mainaguri Assembly constituency of Jalpaiguri district, where the party renominated sitting MLA Kaushik Roy. Agitated BJP workers confined district party president Shyamal Roy and several other leaders to the office in
Mainaguri town.

Shyamal Roy said he had spoken to the protesters and conveyed their concerns to the state leadership. The candidate has not yet responded to the controversy.

Protests and vandalism were witnessed in Malbazar town on Thursday evening against the candidature of Sukra Munda from the Mal Assembly constituency. The BJP supporters who protested against Munda’s nomination vandalised the party office, damaged furniture, and set fire to party flags, banners, and campaign materials.

“Instead of choosing a local candidate, the party has fielded an outsider, which is completely unacceptable,” said local BJP leader
Anil Oraon.

Munda said he had tried repeatedly to reach district leaders but received no response. “I stayed at home in Nagrakata and did not go out for campaigning as there was no response from the leaders,” he said.

In Alipurduar district, BJP supporters locked up the party office in Madarihat on Thursday evening, demanding that the candidate be changed. The BJP has fielded Laxman Limbu, a Morcha leader, from the Madarihat seat. The unrest spread to Birpara on Friday, where agitated BJP supporters locked up the party office and launched a demonstration against Limbu’s
nomination.

Earlier, BJP workers had demonstrated at the district headquarters in protest against the Alipurduar candidate, Paritosh Das.

Protests were also witnessed in the Baishnabnagar Assembly constituency of Malda district, where BJP workers burnt tyres and demonstrated in front of the party office on Thursday night, demanding the replacement of the candidate.

BJP has fielded Raju Karmakar, a senior RSS functionary, from Baishnabnagar. The agitators have said he is an outsider.

“We are strong enough to win Baishnabnagar if the party fields a local face,” said a local leader.