West Bengal panchayat polls: Unhappy with candidate selection, TMC MLA Manoranjan Byapari quits party posts

“Yes, I have resigned from two party posts. I have not resigned as TMC MLA. I was not happy with the candidate selection for the panchayat election. Therefore, I decided to leave the party posts. This kind of politics is not for a person like me,” Byapari told The Indian Express.

The decision came days after a section of the local TMC leadership in Hooghly district had accused the MLA of giving panchayat election tickets to party workers in exchange for money. On Sunday, Byapari had denied the allegations and accused TMC Balagarh block president Nabin Gangopadhyay of doing the same. He had also threatened to resign from party posts if the allegations against him were proven true.

The candidates chosen by Byapari were reportedly not considered by the state party leadership.

The development came as a setback for the TMC ahead of panchayat polls as the ruling party is already under pressure over the deterioration of the law and order situation in West Bengal following widespread violence in the run-up to the polls.

The BJP was quick to slam the TMC for indulging in corruption. “There are several MLAs in Trinamool who are not happy with the way the party is functioning but they cannot say it out of fear. They are scared that if they open their mouths then they will face attacks from goons or get involved in false cases,” senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said. “It is clear that TMC has become a party which knows nothing but corruption. He [Byapari] is also saying a person like him cannot remain in TMC. We think good sense prevailed and we thank him for speaking his mind. More such leaders will open their mouths against the TMC in the days to come,” Sinha added.

Senior CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty also criticised the TMC. “Manoranjan Byapari is a writer who likes to think freely and take independent decisions. Those who think freely cannot remain with the TMC. He has understood this now. Byapari has accused the party of giving party tickets in exchange for money. Many have said this as well. The TMC only has the support of the state police to win the election. This is the beginning of the end for TMC,” Chakraborty said.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, however, said that Byapari should have raised the issue in the party’s internal forum before announcing his decision. “We cannot answer why he has made such a decision. We cannot respond on his behalf. But I can say that instead of saying this on a public platform, he should have raised the matter before the state leadership. He could have raised this in the party’s internal forum. He has chosen otherwise and we have nothing to say on this. The party is fully focused on the panchayat election and all our efforts are there to win the election,” said Sen.

The panchayat elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be held on July 8 and the results are set to be declared on July 11.