TMC Candidate List Sparks Controversy in Rajganj Assembly Constituency

The Rajganj assembly constituency in Jalpaiguri has been on the boil ever since the TMC released its list of candidates. Four-time MLA and district TMC chairman Khageswar Roy is angry at the party for not fielding him this time. The party has replaced him with Arjuna awardee athlete Sapna Barman, who recently joined the TMC. Khageswar publicly resents his followers for not seeing his name on the list. He alleges that the party has done injustice to him. He rues that he has been removed after winning Rajganj four times in a row, starting with the 2009 by-election. He even claims in an explosive manner, "I lost to money." The influence of Khageswar Roy, who has been a strong face of the organisation in Rajganj for a long time, is still significant. On the other hand, the TMC is trying to attract youth votes by fielding a popular sportsperson like Sapna Barman. Khageswar Roy has announced to resign from the post of district TMC president in protest against this decision. Though he has not yet made any political move, it is not clear how much he will be affected by the political situation within the TMC.