The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) has started relaying the 100-metre road along the state BJP headquarters on Calcutta’s Muralidhar Sen Lane, prompting the party to allege a “conspiracy” to “inconvenience” its leaders during the 60 days of the project.

“The road in front of our

office was dug without giving us any prior notice. This is a conspiracy,” said BJP youth wing national secretary Saurav Sikdar.

According to Sikdar, the digging of the road — the entire stretch from Central Avenue to Madan Mohan Sen Street — started on Tuesday and since then no car can enter the lane. “So many important leaders come to our office…As the road has been dug up, they are forced to get off at a distance and walk up to the office.”

A board put up by the civic body describes the project as “Development of Road Surface at Ram Kamal Sen Lane and Muralidhar Sen Lane in Ward 44”. It also says funds for the project have been allotted from the civic coffers.

Sources in the CMC said the road, because of repeated bituminous layering of the existing surface, was above the level of the gates of the buildings along the stretch. This led to waterlogging.

“As relaying of the surface cannot be done without uprooting the layers, it would take time and we think the project could be completed in 60 days,” a civic source said.

The duration has nettled the BJP and Sikdar said he suspected an “ulterior political motive” in the name of road reconstruction.

“What strikes us the most is the number of days required for the completion of the work, which is 60 days as per the CMC board. Isn’t it too much?” Sikdar asked, referring to the road’s length of around 100-odd metres. “We thought it would be completed in a couple of days,” he added.

CMC’s mayoral council member in-charge of roads, Ratan Dey, argued that relaying the stretch was necessary and was taken up as part of the overall road development in the city. “Good work requires time and cannot be done overnight. We never see political colours in development work.” Dey said residents were “duly informed” before any road repair projects were taken up.