Trinamul MLA from Hooghly's Balagarh Manoranjan Byapari on Wednesday lambasted a section of his party leaders for "malpractice" in the distribution of party tickets for the July 8 rural polls, after stepping down from two organisational posts.

Byapari, a Dalit author, stepped into politics in the 2021 Assembly polls after chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked him to contest from Hooghly.

"There was complete malpractice over the distribution of party tickets in my Assembly segment. How did the people of the local block president get party tickets for all 224 seats in Balagarh when the party allotted around 80 tickets to me? In around 80 seats, two candidates submitted their party tickets. My candidates turned Independents as the rival group filed nominations earlier. The party denied tickets to those who worked for Trinamul in the 2021 Assembly polls and awarded those who backed the BJP (with tickets)," Byapari told The Telegraph on Wednesday evening.

"I want a CID probe into the entire episode as the people of Balagarh believe that many party tickets were sold in exchange for money," he added.

Byapari's outburst is an example of the setbacks the ruling Trinamul is facing over the distribution of party tickets ahead of the rural polls. A source said although the ruling dispensation took multiple steps to reduce the number of dissidents from filing nominations against their official candidates, these backfired in multiple pockets.

At least 11,930 rebel Trinamul candidates filed nomination papers despite the party announcing names and distributing party symbols at the last hour.

A Trinamul leader said though party leaders reached out to dissidents with the request of chief minister Mamata Banerjee to quit the fray, many such candidates refused to budge from their stand of contesting as Independents.

A rough estimate said only around 3,000 out of 11,930 Trinamul dissidents withdrew nominations.

"The party has already started suspending those who are going ahead and contesting as Independents against official nominees," said a Trinamul leader.

From his Facebook handle, Byapari on Wednesday came down heavily on party leaders informing his decision to step down from two organisational posts of general secretary of the party's state committee and member of Hooghly's 2023 rural polls panel.

He said he wished to quit the post of MLA but could not do so for the lack of an alternative income. He said he was not cut out for politics where party leaders were involved in "irregularities".

Denying Byapari's charges, Trinamul's Hooghly district committee president Anirban Guin said he distributed party tickets to the MLA and the block presidents according to allotments decided by the party.

In East Burdwan's Raina II block, around 75 Trinamul rebel candidates did not withdraw nominations. They will contest as Independents. Local leaders on Monday hit the street accusing the senior leadership of distributing party symbols to those who filed nominations without being on the official list.