BJP’s candidate reshuffle sparks resentment in Badarghat, party workers’ protest at MLA’s residence goes viral
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, November 4, 2026
The BJP’s decision to replace 23 candidates from its previous Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) election lineup has triggered discontent within the party, with reports of protests by party workers at the residence of the Badarghat MLA Ms Minarani Sarkar and a prominent BJP campaigner entering the electoral fray as an Independent candidate from Ward No. 46.
A video purportedly showing BJP workers expressing their anger at the residence of the Badarghat legislator has been circulating on social media, drawing attention to growing dissatisfaction among sections of the party’s grassroots cadre over the candidate selection process.
The protest has raised questions about internal consultation, the treatment of long-serving party workers and the potential electoral consequences of replacing established faces with new candidates ahead of the upcoming civic polls.
The controversy comes amid a significant overhaul of the BJP’s candidate list for the Agartala Municipal Corporation elections. The party has dropped 23 candidates who contested the previous election, opting instead to field several new faces across the city.
Among the prominent candidates who have been left out are Soma Majumder, Dipak Majumder, Abhishek Dutta, Lata Nath and Uttam Kumar Ghosh. The decision has prompted speculation about whether the party’s leadership is seeking to refresh its organisational image or whether the changes could alienate sections of its traditional support base.
The 23 candidates dropped from the previous lineup are Mitra Rani Das (Ward 1), Suparna Debnath (Ward 4), Lata Nath (Ward 5), Uttam Kumar Ghosh (Ward 9), Soma Majumder (Ward 10), Hiralal Debnath (Ward 11), Dipak Majumder (Ward 16), Abhishek Dutta (Ward 18), Alok Bhattacharjee (Ward 21), Himani Debbarma (Ward 22), Shilpi Dewan (Ward 26), Subhash Bhowmik (Ward 27), Pintu Ranjan Das (Ward 30), Shilpi Sen (Ward 32), Jahnabi Das Chowdhury (Ward 34), Anjana Das (Ward 38), Abhijit Ghosh (Ward 41), Sathi Rudrapal (Ward 42), Uday Bhaskar Chakraborty (Ward 44), Apu Adya Dutta (Ward 45), Meena Rani Sarkar (Ward 47), Sabita Kar (Ward 48) and Sushanta Chandra Bhowmik (Ward 51).
The candidate reshuffle has also produced an unexpected development in Ward No. 46, where Rajesh Ghosh, a familiar face in BJP election campaigns, is entering the contest as an Independent candidate. His decision to contest outside the party fold is being viewed as a potential challenge to the BJP’s electoral prospects in the ward.
The developments have intensified debate over the BJP’s strategy for the municipal elections. While the induction of new candidates may help the party project a fresh image, the dissatisfaction among sections of its existing leadership and grassroots workers could pose a challenge.
With the civic elections approaching, the BJP leadership faces the task of managing internal differences and ensuring that disgruntled party workers do not undermine the campaign.
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