Abdul Karim Choudhury, the Trinamul MLA of Islampur in North Dinajpur district, has announced that he will select candidates for panchayat elections in Islampur block and if the party leadership doesn’t endorse the list, he will field them as Independents.

“For panchayat elections, I will prepare a list of candidates and will send it to the state leadership. If Mamata Banerjee doesn’t approve the list, the candidates will contest as Independents,” the MLA has said.

Earlier this month, as Trinamul supporters of two groups, clashed at Matikunda in Islampur which left a youth dead, the MLA accused Kanaialal Agarwala, the district Trinamul president of North Dinajpur, and Zakir Hossain, the Trinamul chief of Islampur block, of orchestrating the attack.

He demanded that the party take steps against them and also abstained from a meeting called by the state leadership in Calcutta to discuss the panchayat elections.

Choudhury’s assertion has left the party leaders surprised as a few days back, Trinamul supremo Mamata Banerjee asserted that she herself would decide on the candidates who would contest panchayat elections for the party.

The MLA, however, sounded unperturbed when told whether he is planning to field dummy candidates.

“Everybody has the right to contest the elections. Also, there are many sincere party workers who want to contest and work for people in a transparent manner. We have no right to ignore their aspirations as we want to have panchayats where there will be no corruption,” added Choudhury.

Agarwala and Hossain, he said, have indulged in politics of violence. “I want to put an end to such politics in Islampur. That is why, I have thought of selecting deserving candidates across the block,” he said.

District Trinamul leaders, when told about the MLA’s remarks, said Choudhury should follow the party’s instructions.

“He is a senior leader and an MLA of our party. We respect him. He is free to send a list to the party but he will have to abide by the party’s decision,” said Agarwala.