TMC Leader Uttam Das, Prashant Chowdhury Dispute: Two More MLAs Against Minister

ASANSOL: The internal feud within the BJP in Barrackpore regarding former Trinamool municipality chairmen Uttam Das and Prashant Chowdhury is gradually escalating. Jagaddal MLA Rajesh Kumar and Naihati MLA Sumitra Chatterjee have backed Barrackpore MLA Kaustav Bagchi's stance opposing the induction of Trinamool leaders into the party. On the other hand, Bijpur MLA Sudipta Das has sided with Noapara MLA and Minister Arjun Singh. Last week, the controversy began with the presence of former Barrackpore municipality chairman Uttam Das on the same stage with Minister Arjun Singh. Over the induction of Uttam Das and former Titagarh chairman Prashant Chowdhury into the BJP, young BJP MLA Kaustav Bagchi from Barrackpore threatened to self-immolate in front of the party's state office. Within 24 hours, a section of the local BJP leadership reached Uttam's residence to congratulate him. In retaliation, the other faction of the party launched a campaign by bringing forward Kaustav's photographs with Trinamool and CPM leaders. Minister and former state president Dilip Ghosh also criticized Kaustav. Consequently, the equations of the saffron camp in the Barrackpore organizational district have come out in the open. Jagaddal MLA and former IPS Rajesh Kumar supported Kaustav's statement regarding the two former Trinamool leaders. He said that the Barrackpore MLA spoke from his heart and he supports Kaustav's statement. He also questioned leaders entering another MLA's territory. On the other hand, Naihati MLA and Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's family member Sumitra Chatterjee said that Kaustav must have spoken with evidence in hand. She said he did not say anything against the party and had warned about who should be inducted and who should not.