Panchayat polls: Trinamool faces revolt over candidate selection from 2 heavyweight MLAs

Kolkata, June 21 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is reportedly facing internal revolt from two heavyweight party legislators over candidate selection for the July 8 panchayat elections in the state.

The development comes at a time when several incidents of clashes have been reported between two factions of the state's ruling party from different parts of the state over candidate selection and nomination filing.

The two Trinamool MLAs vocal on this issue are Manoranjan Byapari from Balagarh constituency in Hooghly district, and Humayun Kabir from Bharatpur constituency in Murshidabad district.

Byapari has already resigned from two party posts besides expressing his desire to resign from the post of legislator.

"I also wish to resign from the post of MLA. But I am yet to start receiving pension for the job that I quit for contesting the elections two years back. Once I start receiving my pension, I will resign from the post of MLA. I can well realise now that politics is not the domain for people like me," Byapari said.

Although Byapari did not clearly specify the reasons for his actions, sources close to him said that he has been left distraught by the candidate selection in Hooghly district, especially over allegations of giving nominations to candidates in exchange for money.

Kabir, meanwhile, has been more vocal on this issue. Throwing a direct challenge at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool MLA has threatened to campaign for the Independent candidates.

He also accused Trinamool's Murshidabad district president Saoni Sinha Roy of allotting candidature to those who are infamous in the district as 'extortionists'.

The Trinamool leadership, however, does not want to give too much importance to such allegations. According to party leaders, since the people of West Bengal are behind the Chief Minister, the statements made by others need not be given much importance.