Daribhit, a nondescript village in Islampur subdivision of North Dinajpur that is known to have played a key role in consolidating the saffron camp’s support base in the district before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, has overnight turned its face from the BJP.

The reason: Daribhit residents, particularly the families of the two local youths, who had died of bullet wounds during violence in the village three years back, are disgruntled with the BJP's decision to field Soumyarup Mondal from Islampur.

They are also disappointed with Debasree Chaudhuri, the BJP MP of Raiganj who is also a Union minister of state, for allowing this to happen, and have said that they would not let Mondal or Chaudhari enter the village to campaign.

“We do not like Mondal. After we lost our sons, he didn’t turn up even once in the village. A few months back, some residents decided to build tombs for them and approached him. He had ignored them,” said Manju, the mother of Tapash Burman, one of the deceased. The bodies of the two Hindu youths Rajesh Sarkar and Tapash Burman were buried and not cremated — a decision by their families in case the probe warranted an exhumation.

On Thursday, when the BJP's Raiganj MP read out the names of candidates in Delhi, there was an instant outburst of anger in Daribhit. Residents ransacked the BJP office and smeared coal dust on a photograph of the MP.

In September 2018, violence erupted in Daribhit over the recruitment of teachers in a local school. Rajesh and Tapash, the youths who were also former students of the school, died of bullet injuries.

The BJP organised a movement, demanding a CBI probe into the incident, held demonstrations across the state and held a strike. For months, only BJP leaders were allowed to enter the village.

In 2019, when Chaudhuri was fielded as the BJP’s MP candidate, she launched her campaign by paying homage to the graves of the youths.

“One of the major anti-state government movements which the BJP could organise in north Bengal was on the Daribhit issue and it helped the party get support from people. Even (Union home minister) Amit Shah and the Prime Minister referred to the incident in their public speeches ahead of Lok Sabha polls,” pointed out an observer.

However, the decision of fielding Mondal from Islampur seems to have backfired for the BJP. “The MP and her party used the Daribhit issue to gain support for the 2019 polls. Now they are trying to prove it has no role in their win,” added Manju.

MP Chaudhuri said she would look into the issue.

“We have always stood by these two families and the village. There may be some confusion but we hope to resolve it soon,” she said.