Trinamul has postponed the election of chairpersons in two civic bodies in Nadia — Chakdaha and Haringhata — on Thursday, a day after its elected councillors refused to vote for the party’s nominated candidates in two municipalities.

Trinamul also suspended the election of vice-chairman in Bhatpara municipality apprehending a challenge against the party’s candidate.

The party did not officially show any reason behind the postponement in Nadia, but insiders said there were chances of some councillors challenging the official choices.

In Chakdaha, the party leadership proposed Amalendu Das and Debabrata Nag for the post of chairperson and vice-chairperson. But, party insiders claimed many elected councillors led by district youth wing leader and councillor Subhankar Singh strongly objected to both names.

In Haringhata, a major section of the councillors in a similar way objected to official names Sanjib Ram as chairperson and Rajiv Dalal as his deputy.

“We came to know that the party nominated candidates could be opposed by some elected councillors of the party. So, it is better to buy time to defuse the situation rather than face an embarrassment like in Kalna (on Wednesday where Trinamul councillors refused to vote for the party’s nominated chairman),” said a Trinamul insider.

On Wednesday, some newly elected Trinamul councillors in East Burdwan’s Kalna and West Midnapore’s Kharar fielded their own candidates against the official nominees, names of whom were sent from Calcutta. At both these places, the official candidates lost. A few defiant councillors have been suspended.

In a related development in Nadia, the party leadership sacked newly elected councillor and Santipur town committee's president Brindaban Pramanik as he challenged official nominee Subrata Ghosh as chairperson that led to a test of ballots resulting in a tie as both groups got support of 12 councillors each. Eventually, official nominee Ghosh managed to avoid embarrassment as the president of the meeting cast his vote to ensure his win.

Pramanik was sacked within an hour.

A senior leader of Trinamul in Nadia said it was an unhealthy situation. “Local leaders with their vested interest are defying party decisions,” he said.

Others said that senior leaders tasked with nominating names of chairperson and vice-chairpersons had not examined how acceptable their recommendations were.

As a result, the party has become divided, leading to personal rivalries and rivals being challenged through votes, sources said.

A newly elected councillor in Chakdaha said: “The district leadership is encouraging malpractices and recommending names based on personal interest.”

Trinamul’s Nadia North organising district president Ratna Ghosh, however, refuted the allegations. “There is no difference in opinion and resentment over the choice of party candidates for chairpersons and vice-chairpersons. Postponing the election of the board chiefs was an administrative decision on technical grounds and will be held very soon.”

In Nadia, the CPM formed the civic board in Taherpur for the consecutive second term on Thursday. Around 1,000 party supporters escorted newly elected eight councillors to the oath-taking ceremony. Police had arranged tight security along the stretch.

Uttamananda Das was elected chairperson and retired school teacher Sova Sil as Das’s deputy. Trinamul did not attend the first board meeting and left the venue after the oath-taking ceremony.

“Our councillors were being threatened as they had refused to bite the Trinamul bait. So our party workers accompanied our councillors to the venue,” CPM’s Taherpur area committee secretary Supratip Roy told The Telegraph.