A BJP leader alleged that he had been shoved and kicked by two office-bearers of the party in Jalpaiguri district during a march to the collectorate on Thursday ahead of the filing of nominations for the Dhupguri bypoll.
The BJP has fielded Tapasi Roy in the bypoll scheduled for September 5.
Alok Chakraborty, a former district vice-president of the BJP, was seen lying on the road with a flower bouquet in his hand as party leaders and supporters took out a march to the district magistrate’s office where Tapasi filed her nomination.
“I went to the rally to greet the candidate. While I was approaching the candidate with flowers to greet her, Bapi Goswami (the district BJP president) and Palen Ghosh (the district president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha) shoved me. As I fell on the road, they kicked me,” said Chakraborty.
Jayanta Roy, the Jalpaiguri MP, tried to dissuade the duo but they didn’t listen, he alleged.
When Chakraborty fell to the ground and raised the alarm, a section of party supporters voiced their protests. Some BJP leaders and MLAs taking part in the procession somehow pacified them.
Goswami and Chakraborty represent different lobbies in the BJP.
After Goswami became the district president, Chakraborty and some others were not included in the district committee and their associates were also kept out of block-level committees.
Since then, Chakraborty and some others have been running a parallel BJP office in Jalpaiguri town.
Both Goswami and Ghosh denied the charge. “The party had showcaused him (Chakraborty) and some others on certain issues. They didn’t respond to the showcases and the party has suspended them. As of now, they have no connection with the party,” said Goswami.
Later in the day, Chakraborty said he and his associates would file written complaints with the state leadership.
A senior BJP functionary, who didn’t want to be named, said what had happened in the town on Thursday was undesirable.
“We have had a loss of a face after a panchayat level leader of our party murdered his wife in Dhupguri block a few days ago. What happened today was undesirable. I am afraid that our political rivals will highlight these incidents during the campaign,” he said.