Dissent in Congress ahead of Bengal Assembly polls

Kolkata, Mar 31: The dissent in Congress ranks ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls has worsened in several districts over the alliance with Trinamool Congress and selection of party candidates with Congress rebels filing nominations as independents in some places.

Many Congress leaders have been left out this time with the Trinamool Congress leaving merely 65 of the total 294 seats to the ally for the six phase elections which begin on April 18.

With the release last Friday of the Congress candidates' list by the party high command the voices of dissent within the local leadership of the party have grown louder.

Congress rebels have already filed nominations as independents in certain constituencies with the last date of filing of nominations for the 54 seats in North Bengal scheduled to end tomorrow.

In North Dinajpur district where Congress MP Deepa Dasmunshi is unhappy over the seat-sharing deal with Trinamool, two rebel Congress leaders -- Chittaranjan Roy, a sitting Congress legislator and Hamidur Rahman, a former MLA have filed nominations as independents against the Trinamool Congress nominees protesting against the denial of tickets to them by the high command.

PTI