Veteran Trinamul leader Abdul Karim Choudhury, who is also the MLA of Islampur Assembly seat in North Dinajpur, accused a leader of his own party and his associates of “going to” perpetrate violence during the upcoming civic election.

Islampur municipal elections would be held on February 27, along with 107 other municipalities of the state.

Choudhury's remark has drawn flak from the party leaders, who have denied the charge and questioned how an MLA can make such comments against his own party.

“In the Islampur civic polls, some Trinamul leaders and workers led by Zakir Hossain will resort to violence. Wherever he (Hossain) and his associates go, they indulge into violence. If they roam around ahead of the elections and on poll day, there is every chance that law and order situation will deteriorate. That is why I want the party to dissuade him from working in the civic polls,” Choudhury told the media on Tuesday.

Hossain is the Trinamul president of Islampur block and has considerable clout in and around the town.

Kanaialal Agarwala, the district Trinamul chief, has rubbished the charges and said the party would never perpetrate violence.

“In Islampur, elections have always been peaceful. We don’t know why the MLA has asserted such a false apprehension. It was incorrect on his part to make such public statements,” said Agarwala.

Hossain said: “I have no inkling why he (Choudhury) came up with such remarks ahead of elections. All of us should work together to retain the civic board in Islampur.”

Party insiders said Choudhury is known for inviting criticism through his remarks. In December last year, the MLA was reprimanded by chief minister Mamata Banerjee at an administrative meeting held in Raiganj. Choudhury raised the demand to bifurcate North Dinajpur district for a separate Islampur district. “The chief minister rebuked him but he went on... It led to repercussions within the party,” said a Trinamul functionary in Islampur.