KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress MLA Abdur Razzak from the Jalangi Assembly constituency in Murshidabad resigned after being denied a ticket to contest from the same seat.
Razzak’s resignation has exposed an intra-party feud in the district ahead of elections to 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Trinamool Congress won 20 of the 22 seats in Murshidabad district, which has a Muslim population of over 70 percent.
While announcing his resignation on Sunday night, Razzak did not indicate his future political plans, especially with the first phase of polling in 152 seats scheduled for April 23. The second phase, covering 142 constituencies, will be held on April 29.
Expressing strong resentment against the party leadership, Razzak told the media during a press conference at his Jalangi residence, “Trimool Congress will definitely suffer major defeats in three seats, including Jalangi, in Murshidabad district in the upcoming elections.”
He added, “There is no transparency and honesty in Trinamool Congress and the party leadership will nominate those candidates who are corrupt and raise funds through extortions for the party. It will be defeated definitely in Jalangi, Domkal and Raninagar constituencies. The remaining will be known after the counting on 4 May”.
Reacting to Razzak's resignation, Apurba Sarkar, president of the Trinamool Congress Murshidabad organisational district, told the media on Thursday, “His resignation won’t have any impact in the party. He had been maintaining political relationship with opposition camps since long in the district”.
Earlier, Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress and second-in-command after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, said at a rally in Jalangi, “It can not be tolerated for someone who is in Trinamool and involved in corruption to get a ticket to contest elections at the same time.”
Although Abhishek did not name anyone, his remarks prompted Razzak to express his grievances against the party leadership, targeting some influential leaders in the district.
He accused Soumik Hossain, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Raninagar, of playing a key role in denying him a nomination.
“In order to establish his political influence in the Domkal subdivision, Hossain has fielded two ‘outsiders’ from Domkal and Jalangi constituencies,” Razzak alleged.
However, dismissing the allegations, Hossain said, “I am nobody to give tickets. He is making such false allegations to take political revenge”.
The party has fielded Humayun Kabir, a retired IPS officer and outgoing Debra MLA, from Domkal, while Babar Ali has been nominated from Jalangi.
Political observers in Murshidabad believe Razzak may join the Congress camp.