Kamal Kumar Biswas. TOD. Gangarampur
Signs of internal dissent have surfaced within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in South Dinajpur district, as rebel candidates filed nominations against official party nominees in two key Assembly constituencies on Monday, raising concerns about factional divisions ahead of the 2026 state elections.
In the Gangarampur (Scheduled Caste) seat, Mrityunjay Barman, a former party functionary who served as a “Shakti Pramukh(as learnt),” filed his nomination as an Independent candidate against the BJP’s official nominee, Satyendranath Roy. Barman cited growing dissatisfaction within the party as the reason for his decision.“The atmosphere had been very suffocating. I did not have the right to express myself within the party,” Barman said after filing his nomination in Balurghat. “That is why I decided to quit and contest independently, following all the guidelines of the Election Commission.” Expressing confidence, he added, “I am sure of my victory.”
Satyendranath Roy, who won the Gangarampur seat in the 2021 Assembly election by a margin of 4,592 votes, dismissed concerns about the rebel candidacy. “There will be no impact in the election,” he said. Satyendranath Roy had defeated Trinamool Congress candidate Goutam Das, who has once again been fielded by the party for the upcoming polls.The development has introduced uncertainty into what was expected to be a closely contested seat, with political observers watching closely to see whether Barman’s candidacy could split the BJP vote.
In a parallel development, Sushil Mardi, the district president of the BJP’s ST Morcha, also filed his nomination from the Balurghat Assembly constituency, expressing discontent over the party’s selection of candidates. His move follows the denial of a ticket to sitting BJP MLA Ashok Kumar Lahiri, with the party instead nominating Bidyut Kumar Roy, a relatively new entrant.
The twin acts of defiance have exposed underlying tensions within the district BJP unit, with visible signs of factionalism emerging at a critical juncture. Analysts suggest that such internal divisions could weaken the party’s electoral position, particularly in closely fought constituencies.As campaigning gathers momentum, the extent to which these rebel candidacies influence voter behavior remains an open question, adding a new layer of complexity to the electoral contest in South Dinajpur.
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