Samrat Dey, BJP state committee member and observer of Darjeeling district during the last Assembly elections, resigned from the party on Tuesday and alleged that money had been exchanged for party tickets during the polls.

Dey emailed his resignation to state BJP president Dilip Ghosh. The resignation is seen as another jolt to the saffron party following its debacle in the polls.

Accusing the BJP of “deviating from party ideology”, Dey on Tuesday said: “Prior to the Assembly polls, candidates were given party tickets in lieu of money. This is why I have decided to quit the party.”

The leader, however, did not go into the specifics of the money-for-ticket allegation.

Dey occupied important positions in the BJP. Apart from being a core member of the party, he was also the state secretary of the party’s youth wing.

“During the 2019 parliamentary elections, he was an observer for Cooch Behar district,” said a BJP source.

The development has come after BJP Alipurduar district president Ganga Prasad Sharma joined the Trinamul Congress on Monday. Five district leaders followed Sharma to Trinamul.

On Tuesday, Bhushan Modak, vice-president of the Alipurduar district committee, was appointed as the BJP’s district convener following Sharma’s exit.

Told about Dey’s resignation and the allegation raised by him, the new convener said: “I have no idea of the party tickets in exchange of money. We are a national party and Samrat’s exit will not affect the BJP in the district.”