Kolkata, 18 March (H.S.): Internal dissent has surfaced within the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) following the announcement of its candidate list for the West Bengal Assembly Election 2026, with reports of protests and organisational friction emerging from several districts including Purba Bardhaman and Jalpaiguri since Tuesday night.

In the Khandaghosh Assembly constituency of Purba Bardhaman district, resentment has been reported within a section of party leaders after Nabina Bag was announced as the party’s candidate. A group of local TMC leaders and workers has warned that unless the candidate is changed, several office-bearers including the Block President and multiple zonal leaders may resign from their organisational posts and stay away from the election campaign.

The dissenting leaders have alleged that the party is giving importance to individuals who were not loyal to the organisation, while long-time grassroots workers associated with the party since its early days are being sidelined. They claimed that those who had struggled for the party under difficult circumstances are now being marginalised within the organisation.

A similar situation was reported in the Monteswar Assembly constituency, also in Purba Bardhaman district, after Siddiqullah Chowdhury was named as the party candidate. Soon after the announcement, tensions escalated between two rival factions of party supporters, leading to a clash at Dignagar village.

According to local reports, supporters of Siddiqullah Chowdhury and those of Ahmed Hossain, the President of the Monteswar Panchayat Samiti, were involved in the confrontation, which allegedly escalated into physical altercations. Allegations of crude bomb throwing were also reported from both sides.

Police and central forces were deployed to the area to restore order. Law enforcement personnel reportedly resorted to a baton charge to disperse the crowd, and one person was reported injured in the incident.

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Resignation in Rajganj After Ticket Denial

Signs of discontent were also visible in the Rajganj Assembly constituency of Jalpaiguri district in north Bengal, where sitting MLA Khageshwar Roy resigned from his party post after being denied a ticket.

The TMC has instead fielded Swapna Barman, the gold medallist of the 2018 Asian Games, who joined the party recently.

Khageshwar Roy has been associated with Mamata Banerjee since the formation of the Trinamool Congress in 1998. He first won the Rajganj seat in a by-election in 2009 and has been representing the constituency since 2011.

Expressing his dissatisfaction, Roy alleged injustice in the ticket distribution process and claimed that he was replaced by someone who had not worked for the party organisation. He also indicated that the decision could have an impact on the party’s electoral prospects in the constituency.

Political observers believe that the internal discontent following candidate selection could pose an organisational challenge for the TMC ahead of the elections. However, the party leadership has historically attempted to resolve such disputes through internal dialogue and negotiations.

It remains to be seen how effectively the party leadership manages the dissent and whether it succeeds in pacifying the disgruntled leaders before the polls.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh