Kolkata: Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to West Bengal, at least 15 BJP leaders from North 24 Parganas district’s Barasat, including state committee members, former Mondal President and district committee members, have tendered resignation together on Sunday, amid allegations against District President Tapas Mitra for taking money in lieu of candidature in the recently concluded Municipal polls.

The dissent leaders, who have resigned, claimed that the Barasat District President Tapas Mitra had siphoned money during civic body polls in the state. “I want to work for the people. I have been working for the party for the last 27 years. I am a dedicated worker and this kind of corruption is unacceptable. The BJP District President is acting on his will,” one of the dissident leaders alleged.

However, responding to the allegations, Tapas Mitra, Barasat District President of BJP, said he had no idea why these people have resigned. The resignations have been sent to BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar. However, Majumdar did not comment on the issue.

Recently, Gouri Shankar Ghosh, MLA from Murshidabad, resigned from the state committee along with two others with the same complaint leadership issues. In the past few months, the party has been marred by large-scale violence, defection and dissent across the state. Many senior leaders and MLAs, who had defected from the Trinamool Congress, have rejoined the ruling party.

Following the 2021 assembly polls results in May and the landslide victory of Trinamool Congress, defection started at various levels in the BJP and post-poll violence was at its height. The BJP central leadership inducted Sukanta Majumdar. However, it was of no effect and protests, internal squabble, defection of the MLAs continued, coupled with failure in almost every poll the party fought. BJP’s total number of MLAs has reduced from 77 to 70 in the last several months, courtesy defection.