Though the candidates for the civic body polls are set to file their nominations from Monday, the ruckus over the Trinamul Congress candidate list continued in Burdwan throughout the day today. Annoyed Trinamul Congress supporters from Ward 19 agitated at the district party office.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Atanu Ghosal accompanied by a RAF contingent had to rush to the spot to control the unruly mob. The picketers demanded replacement of Shahabuddin Khan – the candidate named by the party. They demanded either Kayum Imran or Sameer Sheikh to be chosen as Khan’s substitute.

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The urban Trinamul Congress supporters erupted in protest in several districts across the state shortly after the broadcast of the candidate lists by the ruling party for the elections in 108 civic bodies. In some areas, the police had to intervene standing as wall between the factional groups at loggerheads on the road in Burdwan East and Bankura, and in some areas the district leadership were detained inside their offices by the unruly warring groups.

The district president of the TMC in Burdwan East, Rabindranath Chatterjee, was stranded for several hours at his election office in Katwa by some party men who demanded immediate alteration in the candidate list for Katwa Municipality elections. Chatterjee said: “Many have raised objection about certain names in the entire six municipal areas and we’ve noted their protests. The protests has been routed to the party leadership through proper channel and we may expect some definite steps from their end soon.”

The party supporters clashed in Ward No:3 in Burdwan town where a section went to stop the campaign procession brought out by the party candidate Chaina Kumari. The protesters shouted ‘Chaina ke chaina (don’t want Chaina)’. They blocked the old GT Road.

In neighbouring Ward2, locals made opposed party candidate Rubi Mukherjee, demanding candidature of Tanuja Begum. Similar scene was visible in Ward 19 where rebels demanded withdrawal of party candidate and former Councilor Shahabuddin Khan. In Kalna, at Ward 13, party men burnt vehicle tyres on the road demanding a substitute candidate. In Memari town, rebels demanded a substitute for party candidate Krishnapada Biswas.