New Delhi: After witnessing workers protesting over ticket distribution, the BJP leadership is in a huddle to find a way out to curtail the mounting dissent in West Bengal. The dissent increased after the party announced the candidates list on Sunday for the third and fourth phase of the West Bengal Assembly polls.
The BJP workers had protested at the party office in Kolkata and at other districts’ offices in the state for giving tickets to ‘turncoat’ leaders. West Bengal BJP workers alleged that a few of the candidates, who have been given tickets, have cases of attacking saffron party workers when they were in the ruling TMC. Sources said the BJP central leadership also took notice of protests by the workers and discussed the issue with the state leadership in a meeting in the national capital on Wednesday.
A West Bengal BJP leader, who was part of the discussion, said that the party leadership has taken dissent among the cadre over ticket distribution seriously and is working to find a way to pacify the agitated workers. “The central leadership has discussed the issue with the state leaders in detail and directed the West Bengal unit to address the anger of the cadres as it is impossible to change the candidates at this point. West Bengal BJP leaders will hold a discussion with the agitated workers to pacify them,” he said.
Another senior leader pointed out that allowing too many people to join the BJP from the ruling TMC has aggravated the problem. “Several TMC MLAs and senior leaders have joined the BJP in recent times and many of them got tickets to contest the assembly polls as committed by the party leadership before joining. Overlooking our own workers or leaders in ticket distribution has agitated the cadre,” he said.
A party insider said that the leadership was informed in advance about the unrest over the mass joining of TMC leaders and celebrities and it was suggested that proper checks and balance must be maintained.
“As anger is growing among the cadre and is likely to grow more in the coming days after giving more tickets to turncoats, the dissent needs to be addressed urgently otherwise it will adversely affect the electoral prospects of the BJP,” a party leader said.
