The Bharatiya Janata Party have been developing strategies to establish itself as a serious competitor in West Bengal and until a month back it seemed that the party was aggressively moving ahead as far as public outreach is concerned.

However in the run up to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Polls, the party seems to imploding with party workers dissenting openly against senior state leaders and BJP state president Rahul Sinha over ticket distribution.

Hundreds of workers took to the street, shouting “Rahul Sinha go back” and “Rahul Sinha murdabad” outside the BJP office in Kolkata. They also tore up election posters with Sinha’s pictures and burnt party flags. Today, the protestors were burning effigies of Sinha.

“The party was growing fast and there was a momentum. Not only has the momentum been lost, now it seems that we are slipping,” a BJP leader from West Bengal said.

Dissent between workers and leaders

It all began with a local BJP leader Vishal Jaiswal, who was initially named as a councilor candidate for the party from ward 38 of the KMC but was later, pulled out. Jaisal claimed to have already spent Rs five lakh on campaigning for the elections.

Certain party workers also alleged that a section of state leaders were taking money in exchange for tickets and hence certain candidates are being replaced by new ones.

Following their footsteps, workers from Ward 57 and Dum Dum municipality also started a protest over what they claimed was faulty selection of candidates.

Sinha’s retaliation

In an effort to contain the rebellion, BJP State President Sinha expelled Jaiswal, his associate Mohammad Ali and Calcutta northwest general secretary Manav Sharma for six years from the party.

The BJP had bagged more than 25% votes in the Lok Sabha seats in Kolkata. The party was aiming was to capitalise on it in the upcoming municipal and assembly elections. But the recent public display of dissent is likely to impact the party’s poll fortunes.