‘Visible only during polls’: BJP's Agnimitra Paul faces public resentment in Asansol

Agnimitra Paul, the BJP candidate from Asansol South, faced public resentment during her campaign on Tuesday, just a day after her candidature was announced. Touring areas of Ballavpur and local markets in Asansol, Paul sought voter support but encountered sharp reactions from residents questioning her engagement with the constituency.

Tensions escalated when Paul met local leader Sidan Mandal, a former village head and current deputy pradhan. What began as a routine interaction soon turned into a heated exchange, with Mandal making a sarcastic remark referencing her alleged absence from the constituency, visibly irking the BJP candidate.

Residents echoed similar concerns, alleging that Paul is seen only during election periods and had remained largely absent over the past five years. Such sentiments, locals claimed, had surfaced earlier as well during outreach programmes in rural parts of the constituency, where she was reportedly confronted multiple times by villagers over lack of visibility.

Responding to the criticism, Paul targeted the All India Trinamool Congress, accusing it of politicising basic civic issues such as water supply and depriving residents of essential services. In response, Mandal countered by questioning the BJP’s governance in states under its rule and asserted that his organisation was well-prepared for the elections.