Tension brewing in the saffron camp in north Bengal surfaced again on Sunday as Krishna Kalyani, the BJP MLA of Raiganj, announced he was severing ties with the North Dinajpur district party.

His assertion comes a day after Soumen Roy, the BJP MLA of Kaliaganj, North Dinajpur, joined Trinamul.

“The district BJP president (Basudeb Sarkar) is running the party with a handful of followers on his whims. I raised a number of issues which the party should have addressed but nothing was done. I also apprised state leaders of these issues but surprisingly, they too, are silent. That is why I decided that from today, I will not maintain any link with the district party,” said Kalyani.

The Raiganj MLA, however, dodged a direct reply when asked if he would quit the BJP. “Only time will tell… all I can say now is though I won’t keep any ties with the district BJP, I will work as an MLA to serve people who voted for me.”

After Roy’s exit, Kalyani is the only BJP MLA in the district where Trinamul won seven of nine seats.

A senior BJP district leader said internal differences should be patched up or there could be more defections. Sarkar also said he would speak to Kalyani.

“I came to know about the MLA’s grievances from the media. I will talk to him and pass on the information to state leaders,” he said.

Kalyani said Sarkar ignored many prominent party functionaries and MLAs.

“I sought the district committee be reconstituted as many leaders who worked to establish the BJP’s base here were feeling left out. No one paid heed,” he said.

Ever since the BJP appointed Sarkar as district chief, there were a number of protests by party leaders and workers. Yet, Kalyani’s stand is significant. “It’s the first time an MLA has criticised the district leadership blatantly. It reconfirms differences in the party,” said an observer.