Cooch Behar, March 18 -- Tensions within the BJP in Tufanganj escalated as a group conflict over control of the local party office boiled over on Monday night. A scuffle ensued between BJP legislators and dissenting groups, prompting the intervention of the BJP convener to restore order.
The incident unfolded when Zilla Kisan Morcha vice-president Prasenjit Basak and his supporters arrived at the BJP party office on Monday night. Subhashis Dhar, president of Tufanganj Town Mandal BJP Youth Morcha, was conducting a meeting inside the office at that time, while Basak and his group waited outside. Following the meeting's conclusion, Dhar, acting on orders from the Town Mandal president, closed the party office, denying entry to Basak and his associates.
This led to a confrontation between the two groups inside the office, resulting in a brawl. Nikhil Barua, co-convener of Tufanganj Assembly, intervened, allowing Basak and his group to enter the office with the key.
Shubashis Dhar, Yuva Morcha president, questioned the identity of the vandals, hinting they might not be genuine BJP members. Bimal Pal, BJP Tufanganj Assembly convener, dismissed the conflict as mere internal debate, asserting unity among party members.
However, Tanu Sen, Tufanganj Town TMC Youth president, seized the opportunity to taunt the BJP, suggesting that the conflict stemmed from disagreements over the distribution of funds from the Central government ahead of the elections.
He expressed confidence that the electorate would see through such internal strife and reject the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.