Hours after Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee announced the candidate list for the upcoming Assembly elections on Tuesday, protests erupted at some district party offices in the state over the selection of candidates.
In the Khandaghosh constituency in Purba Bardhaman district, resentment within a section of TMC workers surfaced after Nabin Bag was named as the candidate. Block president Aparthib Islam, zilla parishad functionary Bishwanath Roy, and several other leaders warned that if the candidate is not changed, they will resign from their posts and remain inactive during the elections.
The disgruntled leaders alleged that loyal party workers were being sidelined, while those who joined from other parties were repeatedly being given tickets. They demanded that Bishwanath Roy replace Nabin Bag as the candidate.
Nabin Bag, however, declined to comment on the issue.
Tensions flared in Monteswar after state minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury was announced as the party candidate. A scuffle broke out between the supporters of Siddiqullah and Panchayat Samiti president Ahmed Hossain in Dignagar village, prompting local police and central forces to intervene and bring the situation under control.
There have reportedly been multiple allegations against Chowdhury for the past several months.
I don’t know what’s wrong with my performance: Asit Majumdar
In Hooghly’s Chinsurah, the party’s decision to nominate youth leader and IT cell chief Debangshu Bhattacharya triggered disappointment among supporters of three-time MLA Asit Mazumdar, who hinted at quitting the party as well as retiring from politics after being denied renomination.
Majumdar shares a long-standing relationship with party supremo Mamata Banerjee and was first elected in 2011.
From the Chinsurah municipality chairman to councillors, many expressed disappointment at Majumdar not being renominated.
“Obviously, I was shocked. In many places, I heard decisions were based on performance. I don’t know what was wrong with my performance. You work for 365 days. Even after that, if they say my performance was bad, what will I say? I did speak with Abhishek, but that is confidential. There were six panchayats under me. All of them were with me. They also have a say. I will sit with them in one or two days. I will also sit with my family,” Majumdar said.
However, party workers have already begun wall-writing campaigns in support of Debangshu Bhattacharya.
Majumdar, who called himself “small fry,” said perhaps the party believed that Bhattacharya could win.
“If I stay in the party, I will go, campaign for him,” Majumdar said of Bhattacharya.
I will continue to write for people: Manoranjan Byapari
MLA Manoranjan Byapari, a noted writer-turned-politician, took to social media to vent his disappointment after being denied ticket from Balagarh, hinting at rebellion. He wrote on Facebook that he had faced factionalism during his tenure as MLA, adding that he had entered politics with little and would leave the same way. While he did not clarify his future relationship with the TMC, he indicated a return to his literary life, focusing on writing books.
“I thought I had won a lottery when I became an MLA. This time, the party did not nominate me, and I have no regrets. I will live through my writing and continue to write for people,” he said, adding that he had already mentally prepared for this outcome.
Describing his reaction, Byapari said he had taken an afternoon nap, knowing what was coming, only to be awakened by a flood of calls. Reflecting on his term, he said he never felt like an outsider in Balagarh and would miss the people deeply. He also emphasised that the party, built through the hard work and sacrifices of Mamata Banerjee, has every right to decide its candidates and no one else has a say in that matter.
Protests also erupted in Canning Purba, in South 24 Parganas, after the TMC announced Mohammad Baharul Islam as its candidate for the 2026 Assembly elections.
The supporters of local leader Saokat Molla alleged that an “outsider” had been foisted on them and demanded that Molla be fielded instead. Protesters took to the streets on Tuesday night, burnt tyres and disrupted normal life. Police were deployed to control the situation.
Molla reached the spot and appealed to his supporters to remain calm and accept the party’s decision. However, the protesters remained adamant, arguing that sidelining a leader who has long worked for the people would harm the organisation.
I lost to money: Rajganj MLA Kageshwar Roy
Despite winning four consecutive times, Rajganj MLA Kageshwar Roy has been denied a ticket. In his place, the party has fielded Asian Games gold medalist Swapna Barman.
As soon as the decision became public, Roy announced his resignation as the TMC’s Jalpaiguri district chairman. In a sharp remark, he said, “I lost to money.”
Roy has been winning on a TMC ticket since 2009, including the 2011, 2016, and 2021 Assembly elections.
“I never imagined I would not be nominated. I am discussing with well-wishers and will have to make a decision,” he said.
Alleging injustice, he added, “I have been with the party since 1998. Now, whoever can pay money gets the ticket.”
He also claimed that the newly nominated candidate had never been active in politics and expressed concern that TMC might lose the Rajganj seat this time. However, he refrained from making any definitive statement about switching parties, saying, “Through the media, I have informed the leadership about my resignation. Let me first see what the party does.”
District TMC president Mahua Gope told mediapersons that the decision not to field him was taken by the top leadership. “We were not aware earlier. Despite his age, he has worked well. Some protests are natural, but the party’s decision is final,” she said.
Protests also took place in Amdanga in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday morning after the TMC fielded Pirzada Kasem Siddiqui, dropping MLA Rafikur Rahman. Party leaders and workers protested by burning tyres on Duttapukur–Nilganj Road. They demanded that Rahman be renominated as the candidate.