West Bengal | TMC tussle and allegations of graft set the stage for heated contests in Birbhum’s Bolpur and Rampurhat
Kolkata: Alleged factional tensions within the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal’s Birbhum district have set the stage for tight contests in the Bolpur and Rampurhat Assembly constituencies, where leadership rivalries, graft allegations and local development issues are dominating the campaign narrative.
At the center of Birbhum politics is Anubrata Mondal, who continues to be influential despite not contesting the elections.
Long considered the party’s organizational strongman in the district, more popularly known as ‘Kesto’, Mr Mondal remains relevant even after spending more than a year in Tihar Jail in an alleged cattle smuggling case, drawing strength from a deep local network and his proximity to party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
After his release in September 2024, Mr Mondal was removed as district president but remained in the nine-member core committee along with Faizul Haque, known as Kajal Sheikh, to oversee the party’s affairs in the district. Ms. Banerjee later appointed him the convener of the committee, a move seen as balancing rival factions while maintaining organizational control.
Internal fighting is interspersed with allegations of illegal smuggling of stone, sand, coal and cattle, which opposition parties link to local patronage networks. – PTI
