Rebels within the BJP in Bardhaman-Purba Lok Sabha seat, who are serving the party since long, have demanded immediate replacement of Asim Sarkar, the party candidate.
The party and the cadres have termed Sarkar a ‘parachute leader’. Veteran BJP leader Santosh Roy of Memari, who served as the party’s state convenor for 16 Assembly seats, in his social media page demanded: “The infiltrators have crowded the BJP after 2019 and most of them don’t have political skills or mindset and this can be verified with the present office bearers, where 90 per cent were simply intruders and don’t bother to know ABCD of the BJP. Still, 148 Trinamul Congress deserters were honoured by offering tickets.” He and his party colleagues ridiculed the BJP for fielding Asim Sarkar in Bardhaman-Purba seat this time.
The rebels have gone to write walls against Sarkar in certain areas like Ausgram, Purbasthali, Memari and Jamalpur. In Jamalpur, Sarkar was denied entry to certain villages too. Sarkar said, “I’m a simple living man and have been fielded here to serve a pool of 25 lakh residents in the constituency. It is because the party found me suitable.”
Dilip Ghosh, BJP’s candidate from neighbouring Bardhaman Durgapur seat said on the issue, “Some problems have cropped up there but soon we’ll sort it out.”