Ahead of the assembly elections, Opposition Congress in West Bengal is facing rebellion in its bastion Murshidabad district.
A party strongman is threatening to campaign for independents upset over the high command's move to nominate candidates against his 'advice'.
Murshidabad has been the party stronghold, with Congress bagging all the parliamentary seats there during the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, including Jangipur held by Union Defence minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The Congress strongman and MP from Berhampore, Adhir Chowdhury, said that he would campaign for party rebels to contest as independents against its official nominees in the three seats.
He said he was protesting against the high command's decision to nominate candidates against his advice, when he was the president of the party in Murshidabad.
Chowdhury has been engaged in a running feud with three sitting MLAs in the district and has urged the high command to deny them tickets alleging they were 'CPI(M) agents'.
Chowdhury, considered a mass leader, is allegedly at loggerheads with Atish Sinha, Congress Legislature Party leader of the outgoing assembly.
He has demanded that Sinha's candidature from Kandi constituency in Murshidabad and also that of Mayarani Pal in Berhampur and Niyamat Sheikh at Hariharpara be withdrawn.
{{/usCountry}}He has demanded that Sinha's candidature from Kandi constituency in Murshidabad and also that of Mayarani Pal in Berhampur and Niyamat Sheikh at Hariharpara be withdrawn.
{{/usCountry}}If the demands were not met with, the WBPCC would have to face a full-scale revolt from within the district Congress, he warned.
He would also stay away from Berhampore, the district headquarters of Murshidabad, till the end of the polls, he said. "Since I plan to work for independents, it will not be ethical for me to function from the DCC headquarters at Berhampore."