Trinamul Congress election candidate for the Tapan Assembly seat Kalpana Kisku started her election campaign today and met MLA and Minister of State Bachhu Hansda, who expressed resentment against the party’s decision to leave him out of the poll fray.

Hansda also said that he may even work for the BJP “if they invite me with respect.”

It may be noted here that the TMC did not give tickets to contest the elections this time to 57 MLAs, including seven ministers.

Hansda has been the MLA of Tapan since 2011 and he is the Minister of State for North Bengal Development Department. As the party announced the names of the candidates, Hansda was dropped and Kalpana Kisku selected as the TMC candidate in his place.

It is learnt that Hansda was almost “sidelined” from the district party organization, while he holds membership of the party’s district core committee as the MLA. His changed lifestyle and massive building have stirred controversy in the district.

“The team of PK (election strategist Prashant Kishor) had sent a negative report against Bachhu Hansda, who had already started his political activities and booth level campaigning in the last two months, as he hoped he would be contesting the Assembly elections as the TMC candidate again,” a party source said.

Hansda today claimed that “it was confirmed” that the party would select him as the candidate as he was not involved in unethical activities.

“I was a government employee and remained MLA two times and I have built a new building as my original building was damaged. I have experience of fighting elections in Tapan. There was politics inside my party as some party leaders don’t like me. They tried to sideline me to make their path clear. It was not expected. I will not join another party right now. If the BJP wants to use my experience and invite me with respect, I may work for them also,” he said.

Kisku, who is the sabhadhipati of the Balurghat panchayat samity, on the other hand, said Hansda was one of his close relatives and an “elder brother.”

“I met him today and he has assured me all support. I need blessings of the people of Tapan and help from our leaders. I have confidence that the people of Tapan will vote for Mamata Banerjee,” she said.