The state BJP today alleged that ahead of the panchayat election in West Bengal,  Trinamool Congress leaders are threatening their party supporters for taking part in the upcoming panchayat poll campaign or joining the saffron brigade’s political programme.

BJP’s state secretary Raju Banerjee said one MLA of the TMC threatened their supporters who were taking part in the poll campaigning in different parts of Midnapore with dire consequences.

“Especially, those people who are snapping the ties with the TMC and joining the BJP are being threatened by the TMC leaders. The TMC has become a party of the goons and this unruly party is being led by its supremo Mamata Banerjee,” said Mr Banerjee.

Mr Banerjee said that an MLA of the TMC threatened BJP’s local leader over tele phone at Ghatal asking him to resign immediately from his portfolio.

Later, a local leader lodged a police complaint. TMC must suspend that MLA as he is an elected representative.

This is the original political culture of the TMC, said Mr Banerjee.

Earlier BJP’s senior leaders including state president Dilip Ghosh and BJP leader Mukul Roy expressed concern that TMC-backed goons will now hinder their party candidate to file nomination in the panchayat election. The BJP has  also urged for the online  submission of the nomination paper.

Mr Roy also said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee does not want that Opposition parties’ candidates to file nomination for the panchayat poll. He also said that the state government will actually conduct the poll in disguise and hence it is a very tough challenge for the the BJP to combat with both administration and TMC to ensure free and fair election.

BJP’s national president Amit Shah, however, during his last visit, told the BJP workers to bravely fight the attack of the TMC. He even asked the party that they should by any means go ahead and strengthen its rural base and not give any excuse of the attack by the TMC.

Mr Roy has been declared as the convener of the panchayat election. The state BJP did not get any panchayat samity, zila parishad in 2013 panchayat poll, however, it got only 31 panchayats.

BJP leaders expressed their hope that party will ensure a good result in this poll and so the central party leaders gave Mr Roy to play a lead role to ensure zila parishad and panchayat samity in the upcoming three-tier panchayat polls.