For the second consecutive day protests rocked the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as hundreds of party workers took to the streets across the State, protesting against nomination of candidates for the third and fourth phase of the eight-phase Assembly elections.
On the second day, the BJP supporters turned violent at the party’s office in Hastings. The police had to resort to force to disperse BJP supporters in which one policeman was injured and six BJP supporters were taken in custody. Party workers from Panchla, Udaynarayanpur, Raidighi, Singur and other constituencies have been demanding that the chosen candidates be removed, claiming that those who have shed blood for the party for years have been overlooked to accommodate new faces.
On Monday protests had rocked the Hastings office over the same issue. “Loving this slow unfolding of the WB BJP Candidate List soap opera the largest global political party” lacks enough faces & strength to announce 294 names in one go for a state it claims it will sweep!” tweeted Trinamool Congress MP leader Sougata Roy. “This was bound to happen. What is taking place is an implosion within the BJP,” he added.
In another development Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee said that the party would support Debojyoti Singh Deo from Joypur Assembly segment in Purulia.
The candidature of Ujjwal Kumar was cancelled by returning officer. While the candidature of Mr. Kumar was upheld by a single bench, the division bench cancelled his nomination. Mr. Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Purulia, said that the party will support Mr. Singh Deo instead of BJP, Congress or Samyukt Morcha nominee.
Published - March 17, 2021 04:42 am IST
