Violent protests over selection of Congress candidates broke out in some parts of the state today after the party declared its list for 284 of the 294 Assembly seats yesterday. Similar protests, though on a larger scale, had erupted after the Trinamul Congress and the BJP had announced their respective lists recently.
Vandalism and a temporary shutdown of the Congress district party office was witnessed in Burdwan town today, with the unrest being fuelled primarily by discontent over the candidate chosen for the Monteswar constituency. The party nominated Jyotirmoy Mondal, a former district president of Congress’s student wing.
However, the protesters alleged that Mondal has had no active association with the Congress in recent years and claimed that his wife is currently a member of the Trinamul Congress at the gram panchayat level. They further alleged: “He had supported the Trinamul Congress in the previous elections.”
Angry party workers and local leaders gathered at the Congress office on BC Road in the town, expressing strong dissatisfaction over the selection of candidates. The protest soon turned aggressive, with demonstrators damaging furniture, including tables and chairs, and eventually locking the office premises.
Bulbul Ahmed Sheikh, district president of the Congress minority cell, voiced his disappointment, stating that despite his long-standing involvement and grassroots presence in Monteswar, he was overlooked for candidature.
In Malda’s Chanchal region, violence erupted as Congress workers staged protests against the selection of Asif Mehbub as the party’s candidate from the Assembly constituency. Demonstrators resorted to vandalism, highlighting deep internal rifts within the party ahead of crucial political battles. The unrest raises questions over candidate selection, grassroots dissent, and the party’s local strategy.