The Trinamul leadership of Darjeeling (plains) district has expelled 32 party workers for filing nominations as Independents in all three tiers of the June 26 Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (SMP) elections.

Papiya Ghosh, the district Trinamul chief, announced here on Monday that these workers violated party’s decision and were thus expelled in consultation with senior district and state leaders.

“We have expelled 32 persons from our party as all of them went against our party’s guidelines and submitted nominations in all three tiers for the SMP polls. All are from Phansidewa and Matigara blocks,” said Ghosh in the presence of district chairman Alok Chakraborty and Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb.

Among these expelled leaders and workers include Md Akhtar Ali, the former Trinamul president of Phansidewa block, the sole dissident to file his papers in a seat of the SMP, the uppermost tier.

Ghosh claimed Ali was expelled but other sources claimed he had resigned from the party before he filed his papers as an Independent against Ainul Haque, the Trinamul nominee in seat 8 of the SMP. The other 31 dissidents are in fray in the two lower tiers.

Ghosh said that after the lists of candidates for all three tiers were announced some workers and supporters objected to names in some seats.

In all, there are nine seats in the SMP, 66 seats in the four panchayat samitis and 462 seats in the 22 village panchayats.

“We tried to sort out their resentment through talks. Some dissidents filed their nominations (as Independents) and we asked them to withdraw those. When they defied this, we informed the state leadership and according to instructions expelled them,” added Ghosh.

Veteran party leader Gautam Deb criticised the dissidents and said the list was prepared with the approval of party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

“Following her instructions, party leader Aroop Biswas came here and announced the names (in May-end). It is unfortunate that a few workers didn’t accept the candidates … and violated the party’s decision,” said Deb, also a member of Trinamul’s national working committee.

Trinamul insiders said through this expulsion, the party also wanted to pass a stern message to workers and leaders backing the dissidents.

“There are reports that some workers and some local leaders are supporting the dissidents. They should realise that the party can take similar steps against them as well,” said a party functionary.