Trinamul leaders in North Dinajpur district have offered a “last chance” to dissident party workers who are contesting as Independents in the July 8 panchayat elections to evade being expelled from the party.

As nominations were filed for the rural polls, leaders of the state’s ruling party found thousands of dissidents who didn't get tickets submitted nominations as Independents, mostly in the two lower tiers of the panchayat system.

Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee announced that none of these Independents will be taken back into the party in future even if they won. Based on instructions from the state leadership, such candidates were expelled from the party in various districts.

In North Dinajpur, however, Trinamul leaders want to give a last chance to dissidents before deciding on their expulsion.

Kanaialal Agarwala, the district Trinamul president, said such Independents would have to print leaflets and circulate those across their constituency, saying they are withdrawing from elections.

“As the last date of withdrawal is over, their names are there in the ballots. They will have to clearly mention they are withdrawing from the contest and request the voters of their areas to vote for the Trinamul candidate. The exercise has to be carried out before July 8. Those coming up with such leaflets will be allowed to stay in the party,” said Agarwala.

All others will face expulsion, he added.

Sources said that in the district, Trinamul won in all seats uncontested in all three tiers in Chopra block. In the remaining eight blocks, there are 1,222 Independent candidates in the panchayat level, 318 in the panchayat samiti tier and 48 in zilla parishad seats.

“Among Independents, around 70 per cent are dissident Trinamul workers. Thus, there is a risk of division of votes between the party’s candidate and the Independents, which may end up helping other parties. Earlier, district Trinamul leaders asked such candidates to withdraw from the fray. Most didn’t listen. That is why the party has come up with this proposal which they should consider as their last chance,” said a Trinamul insider.