Tensions erupted in Champdani on Saturday as protests broke out within the Bharatiya Janata Party over the candidature of Dilip Singh for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.
The unrest follows growing dissent since Friday, when banners appeared across the area opposing Singh's nomination. The banners read, "We do not accept and will not accept outsider candidate Dilip Singh." Singh has been fielded again from the Champdani constituency, where he had contested in 2021 but lost to Arindam Guin of the Trinamool Congress.
Clashes among BJP workers
According to local sources, clashes broke out when one group of BJP workers attempted to remove banners put up by another group opposing the candidate. This led to heated arguments, verbal abuse, and scuffles between the two factions, escalating tensions in the area.
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Both groups later approached the police. Anti-Singh BJP workers alleged that those supporting the candidate were acting under the influence of the Trinamool Congress. However, no official confirmation of these claims has been made.
Dilip Singh had already begun campaigning after being declared the candidate, but resistance from within the party has continued to grow.
Opposition reacts, dissent continues
Reacting to the developments, TMC candidate Arindam Guin said, "I have seen nearly 40 banners put up across the area against the BJP candidate. The protests against him are natural. Someone who is not seen throughout the year has been made a candidate again. What we have been saying all along is now being echoed by a section of the BJP itself."
He added, "People are watching how the BJP is fighting among themselves on the streets. If a party is divided within, how will it address the problems of the people?"
Meanwhile, a BJP worker opposing the candidature said, "We do not accept Dilip Singh as the BJP candidate. He was also fielded in 2021, but after losing, he did not stay in touch with workers or the public. We are boycotting his candidature and want a local, son-of-the-soil candidate instead."
The situation in Champdani remains tense as internal differences within the BJP continue to surface.
