Panchayat elections: Trinamul Congress faces fresh poser in several districts

Some party rebels have fielded relatives or close aides as Opposition candidates instead of contesting as Independents

CPM candidate Kabita Singh and her husband, Trinamul leader Saheb Singh, at Harinkhola-I gram panchayat in Hooghly’s Arambagh, on Friday.: Ananda Adhikari

Snehamoy Chakraborty, TT,  Calcutta,  01.07.23 : Trinamul is facing a fresh poser in several districts in the run-up to the July 8 rural polls as some party rebels have fielded relatives or close aides as Opposition candidates instead of contesting as Independents.

During a drive to dissuade party rebels from contesting the polls as Independents, the Trinamul leadership in several districts found that dissidents had taken a new route to express their discontent, tactfully fielding their own people as Opposition candidates against the official Trinamul nominee.

Sources said the rebels took this route to escape the “stern action” against rebel Independents by the party.

“After the district leaders started suspending dissidents for fielding or backing rebel Independents, reports emerged about Trinamul leaders who fielded their own people as candidates of the BJP and the CPM. Even leaders with party posts fielded their kin as Opposition candidates,” said a Trinamul leader.

In Hooghly’s Arambagh, Trinamul found at least three party leaders who fielded their relatives as CPM and BJP candidates.

A Trinamul leader in Arambagh said they stumbled upon these types of Opposition candidates who were related or close to Trinamul rebels while trying to deal with the dissident problem.

“It was a surprise. We did not even think that the wife or brother of our leader will be a CPM or BJP candidate. We suspended three such leaders here. We are tracking the backgrounds of all Opposition candidates now,” said Sisir Sarkar, the Trinamul president of Arambagh block.

For instance, CPM candidate Kabita Singh, contesting from the Harinkhola-I gram panchayat in Arambagh, is the wife of Saheb Singh, the area vice-president of the Trinamul Youth Congress.

Saheb did not hide his frustration with Trinamul.

“Neither did I get a ticket nor did the party field anyone from our area despite appeals. I fielded my wife as a CPM candidate after local CPM leaders offered her a ticket. I don’t know if Trinamul has suspended me,” said the disgruntled Trinamul leader.

Trinamul in Birbhum on Friday suspended 14 party functionaries, including six found helping Opposition candidates who were known to be their close aides.

CPM politburo member Ram Chandra Dome said a few of their candidates could have “a Trinamul background”. “However, before fielding them we have ensured that they do not face charges of corruption or anti-people activities,” he said.