The Trinamul Congress and the BJP are in a tug of war over who will first pull the ropes at the Tarapith Rath Yatra on Thursday.

Sources said there was no tradition of inaugurating the Yatra and priests of the Tarapith temple committee used to pull the ropes first. Since 2011, however, Trinamul’s Ashis Banerjee — the four-time MLA of Rampurhat and state agriculture minister — started the trend of inaugurating the festival with the first pull of the ropes.

After the recent general election, around 150 of 350-odd priests at the temple switched allegiance to the BJP and wanted a leader of the party to inaugurate the Yatra this year. “The role of inauguration should be given to someone from our party this time. We wanted BJP national general-secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya,” said priest Pulak Chatterjee.

As Vijayvargiya said he wouldn’t be able to make it, the priests invited state BJP general-secretary Raju Banerjee.

Banerjee said he would be present but not with a political objective.

Minister Banerjee said he would leave it to the temple committee. “We take part in the Rath Yatra out of respect for the goddess. But the BJP is trying to make it a political platform, which should not be done. I will go to the temple and return after offering my prayers,” said the minister.

Sources said the temple committee remained undecided and wanted to find the middle ground.

“A temple is not the place for politics. We are not ready to be part of it. Ashisda has been doing it for years. If anybody else, including BJP leaders, wishes to join, they are welcome,” said Taramoy Mukherjee, the president of the Tarapith temple committee.

“Nobody will be allowed to pull the ropes alone at first. All those interested can do it together,” said Mukherjee.