Former Trinamul Congress councillor at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation Nantu Paul said on Sunday that he would quit the party and contest as an Independent in the Siliguri Assembly seat.

Trinamul fielded Omprakash Mishra in the seat and local party leaders were disappointed with the nomination of the “outsider”.

Paul is the vicechairman of the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority and North Bengal Board for Development of Sports & Games, which function under the state urban development and state sports and youth affairs departments, respectively.

Asked about Paul’s announcement, Ranjan Sarkar, the district Trinamul president, said: “It is his decision. I have nothing to comment on it. We will abide by whatever instructions given by the party leadership.”

Rajen Mukhia, who was instrumental in establishing Trinamul’s base in the Darjeeling hills in the early years of the last decade, also walked out of the party on Sunday.

“I have left Trinamul because it appears to us that top leaders of the party are ignoring local functionaries and workers, who have been trying to expand Trinamul’s support base,” said Mukhia.

Also, in Malda, Amlan Bhaduri, the immediate past district president of youth Trinamul, quitted the party. Bhaduri, who is also a former councillor and a government lawyer, said he is disappointed with inner differences within Trinamul in Malda.