TMC leaders in fit of rage over ticket being denied torch furniture in party's office

Several Trinamool Congress leaders upset over being denied a ticket for the West Bengal assembly elections voiced their anguish against the party with protests breaking out at a few places.

Supporters of TMC leader Arabul Islam torched wooden chairs outside the party office in North 24 Parganas after he was denied nomination for the April 6 polls. Angered supporters of the former TMC MLA Arabul Islam rounded up chairs lying vacant around the TMC office in Bhangar and torched them on Friday.

READ | TMC MLA Arabul Islam Destroys Own Party Office, Sets It Ablaze After Being Denied Ticket

On the other hand, Islam broke down in tears on being denied a ticket and said he would do whatever the local people want him to do. The strongman from Bhangar also said that those loyal to TMC have been ignored by the party leadership. Meanwhile, supporters of TMC's Rafiqur Rahaman, sitting MLA from Adanga, also took to the streets and blocked the highway in protest after his name did not appear in the list of candidates.

READ | TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay Thanks Mamata For Bhowanipore Ticket; Vows To Win It

Mamata's former aide denied ticket

Sonali Guha, a four-time MLA from Satgachia, once a close associate of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was also denied a ticket this time. Bursting into tears, Guha said, "May God give Mamata-didi good sense and counsel, I have been with her from the beginning." 

A section of the Trinamool Congress's Siliguri leadership also took exception to Omprakash Mishra, a Kolkata resident, being made a candidate from the north Bengal town. TMC leader Nantu Pal said that the people would not support "an outsider".

READ | Suvendu Adhikari Welcomes Nandigram Face-off With CM Mamata, Asserts 'sweets On May 2'

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced the list of TMC candidates for the state elections. Banerjee herself has vacated her seat Bhabanipur and declared that she will be contesting the elections from Nandigram.

As many as 27 sitting MLAs of the Trinamool Congress were denied a ticket. The party decided to give tickets to 50 women candidates, 42 Muslim candidates, 79 SC candidates, and 17 ST candidates.

READ | Mamata Banerjee To Contest Only From Nandigram; TMC Announces West Bengal Candidate List