Having failed to deal with unruly election aspirants, the Trinamool Congress in North Dinajpur has taken what is being billed as an “unprecedented decision” and allowed all of them to contest the rural polls in a particular Gram Panchayat as Independent candidates. TMC leaders have also informed the contestants that the party would recognize only those candidates who emerge victorious.

The development in the Gobindapur Gram Panchayat in Islampur subdivision of North Dinajpur district has left all shell-shocked, while it also follows a bout of clashes among party cadres fighting for tickets to contest the polls.

“Many voters are confused following the present trend and frequent clashes among the party activists, and a section of them has planned to abstain from voting with a view to avoiding controversy and further trouble,” sources said.

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Several senior citizens belonging to the minority community in north Bengal, who are said to have done a lot to bring the Trinamool Congress to power, are now a confused lot too, even as several rebel Trinamool candidates, from Dinhata in Cooch Behar to Islampur in North Dinajpur, are contesting the upcoming polls as official candidates.

The BJP leadership has, meanwhile, grabbed the opportunity to belittle the ruling part on the issue and is taking up the matter in its election campaigning across the state.

State BJP vice-president Biswapriya Roy Chowdhury, who was campaigning in Jungle Mahal today, said on the phone: “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lost control over her party. Now, a section of the leaders associated with criminals controls her party. As a result, Mamata Banerjee failed to allot symbols to the official candidates. Trinamool Congress’ official candidates are contesting as Independent candidates.”

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In the 16-member Gobindapur Gram Panchayat in North Dinajpur, a total of 32 candidates belonging to the Trinamool are contesting against each other, while interestingly, there are no candidates belonging to other political parties in a majority of the seats.

Bijoy Singh is contesting the elections as a rebel after the party refused to allot him a ticket.

Sources said, candidates belonging to two camps controlled by two MLAs–Kanhaiya Lal Agarwal (Islampur) and Hamidur Rahaman (Chopra)–are contesting the polls against each other.

“We did not want to deprive others who wanted to contest the polls. As a result, we asked them all to go for it. We have also told them that the party will recognize only the successful candidates after the election results,” said Mr Agarwal.

Mr Rahaman echoed Mr Agarwal. On the other hand, residents of Dinhata in Cooch Behar have been witnessing two types of clashes in their areas. Many of them apprehend more violence during the elections. Party activists, who have failed to manage tickets, are contesting as Independent candidates, taking on the party’s official candidates.

Another clash has broken out between Trinamool activists belonging to two camps, and BJP activists.

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Asked to comment on the matter, Trinamool leader and MLA from Dinhata, Udayan Guho, said: “Party candidates won 159 of the 185 Gram Panchayat seats uncontested, and similarly in the Panchayat Samiti, 29 of the 35 candidates have been elected in Dinhata Block-I. In the Dinhata Block-II, only four Gram Panchayats belong to my Assembly segment.”

Mr Guho admitted that there is a problem on the issue of allotment of symbols among party workers, because there are many contenders for a single seat.

“But all are united to beat the BJP. We are trying hard to tackle feuds among contenders after many of them decided to contest the polls as Independent candidates,” he added.