News Analysis India

Tag: Bhawanipore bypoll

  • Calcutta HC dismisses petition on Bhawanipore bypoll, to be held as scheduled

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition on the by-election to the Bhawanipore Assembly seat, ordering that polls will be held as scheduled on September 30.

    A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice R Bharadwaj said that it was inappropriate on the part of the West Bengal chief secretary to have written such a letter in which he had appealed to the election commission for holding the by-election at Bhawanipore.

    The court dismissed the PIL in which the language used to seek the bypoll was challenged. The chief secretary had in the letter said that a “constitutional crisis” would occur if the by-election to Bhawanipore was not held.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting from the Bhawanipore seat.

  • Bhawanipore bypoll: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s desperation aimed at protecting image

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s aggressive campaign for the by-election in Bhawanipore, despite being termed by the BJP as a reflection of her “desperation”, is said to be aimed at protecting her popular image.

    Sources in the ruling party said that the West Bengal CM had issued a dictate to party leaders to increase her victory margin. Sovandeb Chattopadhyay won from here by a margin of 28,719 votes, while in 2016 assembly elections, Mamata had won by 25,301 votes. “If she gets one vote less than Chattopadhyay’s margin, BJP will get a chance to raise questions on the CM’s popularity,” said a senior TMC leader. 

    For the last one week, Mamata, has been holding back-to-back rallies in the constituency, aiming to woo the diverse electorate. Observers in Bengal’s political circle said such aggressive campaign by a chief minister in a by-election is unprecedented.

    “The ruling party is always in advantageous position in any by-election. The TMC is definitely much ahead of the BJP since it secured a victory with thumping majority in the assembly elections. The CM returned to her erstwhile constituency after being defeated in Nandigram and her desperation appears to be an effort to ensure victory with a record margin,” said Dr Bishnupriya Dutta Gupta, a political science professor.

    In all her campaigns, Mamata has made it clear that she is counting on each and every vote in the constituency. 

    Fist fight by TMC, BJP supporters at campaign climax

    The last-hour campaign in Bhawanipore by-election witnessed a scuffle between BJP and TMC supporters, forcing a policeman to take out his firearm from holster. In the fisticuff, one BJP supporter received injuies on his head.  The incident took place at Jagubabu Bazar.

  • Bhawanipore bypoll: BJP demands Section 144, deployment of central forces for polling day

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: A BJP delegation met the West Bengal chief electoral officer on Monday and demanded deployment of central paramilitary forces at every polling booth and promulgation of Section 144 Cr PC in Bhawanipore constituency in the city during the by-poll on September 30 in view of the alleged attack on party leaders during the day and earlier.

    The BJP delegation also demanded that the CEO Aarif Aftab disallow Kolkata Police from having direct control to maintain law and order in the constituency on the polling day to ensure free and fair poll.

    Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, who led the delegation, told reporters the BJP delegation informed the CEO how the party’s Barrackpore MP Arjun Singh was heckled near Hanuman Mandir in Bhawanipore during the day and had to return without campaigning. “In a second incident, our former state president Dilip Ghosh was attacked by the same people who enjoyed the patronage of a family in the area. We have reported it to the CEO,” he said.

    ALSO READ| Poll campaigning comes to an end in Bengal amid scuffles between Trinamool, BJP

    Campaigning for the by-poll, in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a candidate, came to an end on Monday and was marked by rising of political temperatures.

    The BJP MP said it was seen whenever there is a possibility of high voter turnout, the TMC resorts to such terror tactics. “We therefore urged the CEO to ensure that central forces are deployed in each booth and section 144 CRPC is enforced in the entire constituency,” he said.

    Asked about Ghosh’s demand for countermanding the by-poll in Bhawanipore, Dasgupta said “We want free and fair polls. What Dilip Ghosh said about countermanding Bhawanipore by-poll till the situation in the constituency returns to normal is based on his apprehension and real perception about the scope of holding free and fair polls.”

    “We want the Election Commission to take steps to instill confidence among people about holding elections without fear. We asked the chief electoral officer to see that the Kolkata Police is not in direct charge of holding polls,” he said.

    BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh was on Monday pushed and heckled by alleged TMC supporters, prompting his security officer to whip out a pistol in Bhawanipore assembly constituency. The EC sought a report on the incident from the state.

    Party MP Arjun Singh faced ‘go-back’ slogans from the ruling TMC workers while soliciting votes for party candidate Pryanka Tibrewal. The incident involving Ghosh occurred when he inside a vaccination camp in Jodubabur Bazaar area in the constituency.

    ALSO READ| BJP’s Dilip Ghosh pushed and heckled in Bhowanipore by alleged TMC workers, EC seeks report

    TMC supporters present at the spot shouted slogans demanding that he leave, alleging that he was campaigning at a state-run vaccination programme which was not permitted. Ghosh was whisked away by his security guards.

    He later alleged TMC supporters “attacked” him without provocation and injured a BJP activist. Dasgupta said the CEO’s office was asked to ensure live streaming through weblink of the entire constituency for immediate action by central forces.

  • ‘Khela Hobe’ slogan returns as Kolkata’s Bhowanipore gears up to elect Mamata Banerjee in bypoll

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Barely four months after a high-pitched electoral battle in the Assembly polls, mercury in West Bengal politics is soaring yet again as CM Mamata Banerjee is all set to contest from the Bhowanipore constituency on September 30 to get elected as an MLA and continue her term.

    The slogan ‘Khela Hobe’ (there will be a game)—coined by Mamata —has returned to the poll graffiti in the south Kolkata constituency.

    Minister Firhad Hakim and MLA Madan Mitra took to the streets to paint the walls in support of their party supremo.

    The by-election is said to be crucial to Mamata as she lost to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram and she has a deadline till November 5 to get elected as an MLA.

    ALSO READ | Bengal bypolls: Trinamool begins campaigning; Congress undecided about fielding candidate against Mamata

    “My leader Smt @MamataOficial has been the MLA of Bhawanipur twice earlier. This time she is again going to be the MLA of this area! In the excitement of the run up to the elections, we stepped out on the streets painting walls in our locality to show our support. #AbarKhelaHobe,” Hakim tweeted.

    The Bengal chief minister took her upcoming electoral battle seriously and she cancelled her North Bengal visit shortly after the announcement of the by-election on Saturday.

    Mamata was elected twice in 2011 and 2016 from Bhowanipore but she decided to take on her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari, who defected to the BJP, in Nandigram.

    Though the area in East Midnapore district is a strong bastion of the TMC, Mamata lost by 1,737 votes because of the Adhikari family’s sway in the district.   

    Though the BJP said it would give Mamata a tough fight in Bhowanipur as the constituency has more than 20 per cent non-Bengal electorates which the saffron camp considers its vote-bank, the TMC effused confidence banking on the consolidation of Bengali-speaking voters.     

    Giant flexes and posters displaying Mamata’s photograph have already been put up along the Harish Mukherjee Road the locality of the chief minister’s residence.

    “Wining from Bhowanipore will not at all be tough for the chief minister. Women electorates will extend their support as they did in the Assembly elections and Bengali speaking voters already rejected BJP’s narrative and Hindutva rhetoric,” said a TMC leader in Bhowanipore.

  • In special exception for Mamata, EC allows bypoll in Bhowanipore; CM gears up to retain post

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India on Saturday announced bypoll in the Bhowanipore Assembly constituency, from where CM Mamata Banerjee is likely to contest, on September 30.

    The announcement has ended speculations on whether the TMC chief would be able to participate in the electoral process to continue as the CM.

    The poll panel, in a statement, said it would hold bypoll in Bhowanipore after a request from the Bengal chief secretary who cited administrative exigencies. The Commission’s decision is said to be a relief for Mamata who failed to win in Nandigram.

    The CM needs to get elected as an MLA within six months after the formation of the government and the deadline is November 5.

    Elections will also be held in two other Assembly constituencies — Samsherganj and Jangipur — as candidates from both the seats died of Covid before the poll day. Results of the bypolls and general elections will be announced on October 3.

    BJP’s Bengal chapter did not welcome the poll panel’s decision saying when bypolls are not being held across the country, why Bhowanipore is an exception? They alleged that the decision was taken so that Mamata can continue as Bengal CM. The Congress and Left Front, however, welcomed the poll panel’s decision.

    In its statement, The Commission said: “The Chief Secretary, West Bengal, informed that Covid-19 situation is fully under control… He also informed that in view of administrative exigencies and public interest and to avoid a vacuum in the state, by-election for 159-Bhowanipore, Kolkata, from where Ms Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, intends to contest elections may be conducted …. While the commission has decided not to hold by-elections in other 31 Assembly Constituencies and three Parliamentary Constituencies (across India), considering the constitutional exigency and special request from state of West Bengal, it has decided to hold bye-election in 159-Bhowanipore AC.”

    Expressing his unhappiness, BJP’s state president Dilip Ghosh said, “Byelection is not being held in other states citing Covid-19 pandemic. “Is there no Covid infection in Bhowanipore? The decision was taken so that Mamata Banerjee can continue as CM of Bengal,” he said.

    BJP’s spokesperson Shamik Ghosh said the decision made the poll panel a laughing stock. In the recent past, BJP’s Bengal chapter opposed bypolls citing Covid pandemic and th Congress alleged that the saffron camp’s objection was aimed to force Mamata to step down from the post of the CM.

    “Festive season will start in the state from the second week of October which will continue for a month. The chief minister’s deadline for getting elected is November 5. Holding the bypolls after the festivals and before the deadline was not possible. Besides, for conducting the bypolls before the festive season, the date had to be announced within September 10. So the announcement has brought relief to us,” said a TMC leader.

    The commission, however, is yet to announce bypoll date for four other constituencies — Dinhata, Shantipur, Khardah, and Gosaba. BJP’s sitting MPs Nisith Pramanik (Dinhata) and Jagannath Sarkar (Shantipur), who were elected in the Assembly elections, resigned as they decided to continue in the Lok Sabha. Elected candidates from Khardah and Gosaba had died of Covid-19.