BJP replaces its Alipurduar candidate after workers protest

The BJP on Thursday (March 18) replaced its candidate from the Alipurduar seat in north Bengal after protests from the local party workers who described the candidate as an "outsider".
 

Ashok Lahiri, the former chief economic adviser to the Indian government, was given a ticket in north Bengal assembly constituency. But it was announced on Thursday that local leader Sumon Kanjilal would contest from the seat. 
 

Soon after Ashok Lahiri’s name was announced as a candidate last Sunday (March 15), the local workers of the BJP staged a dharna near the party office demanding the removal of lahiri from the assembly constituency.
 

Ashok Lahiri was removed from the Alipurduar seat in north Bengal as there was a conflict of caste interests. He is likely to be fielded from Balurghat in the South Dinajpur district.

The BJP ran into trouble with its local workers after it fielded leaders who joined the saffron party after quitting the Trinamool Congress.
 

A senior BJP leader said, “Ashok Lahiri is yet to join the party formally. But he agreed to the candidature. He was not comfortable with so much local dissidence. We may bring him to some urban seat near Kolkata.”