Protests erupted at several places in West Bengal including in front of the State BJP office at Hastings in Kolkata.
Supporters of the party held protests for hours at Hastings demanding change of candidates in many seats. They were upset with the candidates at Panchala, Udaynarayanpur and Raidighi Assembly seats. Senior leaders like Mukul Roy, MP Arjun Singh and Shivprakash had to face the protesters who broke barricades and also indulged in violence. In districts like Hooghly, the party office was attacked.
On Sunday, the BJP supporters in Singur had protested against the nomination of 88-year Rabindranath Bhattacharya, a four-time Trinamool Congress MLA who joined the BJP only a few days ago. Most of the supporters protesting were against the nomination of leaders who joined the party from the TMC.
State spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said the protests were isolated incidents and said as the BJP is growing the party has to deal with some “teething problems”. Former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee and his aide Baisakhi Banerjee had resigned from the BJP. Mr. Chatterjee, also a former Minister in Mamata Banerjee’s Cabinet, was among the heavyweight TMC leaders who had joined the BJP. The party on Sunday announced candidates for 63 of the 75 seats that are going to the polls in the third and fourth phases.
Two-time TMC MLA Debashree Roy on Monday quit the party after being denied ticket.
The actor-turned-politician wrote to TMC State president saying she will not be associated with the party.
