Infighting erupts in Trinamool following announcement of candidate list

Tensions ripple through the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as the announcement of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections has ignited factional flames in multiple constituencies. Since Tuesday night, East Burdwan and northern Bengal have become theatres of internal discord, exposing simmering resentments and deep-seated grievances within the party ranks.

In the Khandaghosh constituency, the naming of Nabina Bag as the party’s candidate has stirred a storm of dissent. A cohort of senior leaders and party workers, feeling sidelined despite years of unwavering loyalty, issued a stern warning: unless Bag is replaced, several stalwarts — including the Block President and multiple Zonal Presidents — would resign from their posts and abstain from election campaigning. “We will not accept Nabina Bag as the Trinamool candidate for Khandaghosh,” declared the aggrieved leaders, their words carrying the weight of decades of service.

They lamented the marginalisation of those who had endured imprisonment, long absences from home, and countless personal sacrifices in the party’s name, only to see their loyalty overlooked.

Meanwhile, in the Monteswar constituency, the announcement of Siddiqullah Chowdhury as the candidate set off violent clashes in Dignagar village. Supporters of Chowdhury confronted followers of Ahmed Hossain, President of the Monteswar Panchayat Samiti, leading to a fracas that reportedly involved bomb hurled and necessitated the deployment of both local police and central forces. The police resorted to a baton charge to restore order, leaving one person injured, as the village grappled with the upheaval.

In north Bengal’s Rajganj constituency, outgoing MLA Khageshwar Roy tendered his resignation from party posts after being overlooked in favour of Indian athlete Swapna Barman, the 2018 Asiad gold medallist who joined the Trinamool Congress only last month. Roy, a stalwart since the party’s inception in 1998 and a sitting MLA since 2011, voiced his anguish: “I lost to money today! When the chief minister left Congress to form her own party, I stood by her. Surely some leader has leveraged funds that my name was ignored. A person who never worked for the Trinamool is now the candidate here. I resign in protest. The Rajganj seat will be lost by Trinamool; I laid the foundation for the team here.”

As these flashpoints emerge across West Bengal, the party’s carefully curated image of unity faces a stern test. From East Burdwan’s fiery exchanges to Rajganj’s bitter resignations, the Trinamool Congress must navigate not only external electoral battles but also the churning undercurrents within its own ranks — a delicate balancing act that will shape its fortunes in the coming polls.

With IANS inputs