News Analysis India

Tag: Mamata Banerjee

  • TMC leaders being targeted soon after Bhowanipore bypoll dates were announced, claims Mamata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of using central agencies to target Trinamool Congress leaders pursuing its vendetta politics, as soon as the assembly by-poll dates were announced.

    The TMC supremo, who started her poll campaign for the Bhowanipore by-election, also alleged that the saffron party is targeting party general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee for political reasons, claiming there is no valid case against him.

    Abhishek Banerjee was questioned for about nine hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi on Monday in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal pilferage scam in West Bengal.

    ​ALSO READ | Bhowanipore bypoll: Congress not to field candidate against Mamata

    “We only know how we fought against all odds to win the assembly polls. The BJP brought in goons from other states during the assembly elections. I had to contest this by-poll as a conspiracy was hatched against me (in Nandigram),” she said while addressing a workers’ meet here.

    Banerjee was defeated by the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari from the Nandigram seat in the assembly elections held earlier this year.

    ​ALSO READ | Bhowanipore bypoll: Bengal BJP struggles to find candidate against Mamata

    She needs to win the by-poll to continue as chief minister.

    “The BJP is pursuing vendetta politics and is targeting Abhishek Banerjee….As soon as by-poll dates are announced, TMC leaders are being summoned by (central) agencies,” she said.

    Meanwhile, Banerjee also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure that Covaxin is recognised by it, so that those who availed that vaccine against Covid-19 can travel abroad.

  • Scant regard for Maa Durga stands exposed, says TMC slamming BJP

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: A day after the BJP wrote to the Election Commission urging to take action against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for violating the Model Code of Conduct by announcing cash rewards for Durga Puja clubs despite the declaration of by-poll dates, the TMC hit back at the BJP alleging “their scant regard for Maa Durga and the traditions of Bengal stands exposed”.

    Terming the BJP “self-proclaimed custodians of Hindu culture and values”, the TMC accused it of disrespecting Hindu festivals and not understanding Hinduism.

    The official Twitter handle of TMC today alleged, “The self-proclaimed custodians of Hindu culture and values clearly DO NOT understand Hinduism, forget about respecting Hindu festivals! Now, their scant regard for Maa Durga and the traditions of Bengal stands exposed! This is an act of utter shame @BJP4Bengal”

    On Tuesday, a West Bengal BJP delegation including state vice president Pratap Banerjee, party leader Shishir Bajoria and Balurghat MP Sukanta Majumdar visited the EC office in Kolkata. “We urge EC to take action against Bhabanipur candidate Mamata Banerjee including restraining her from participating in ensuing by-polls for violating Model Code of Conduct by announcing cash rewards for Durga Puja clubs despite the declaration of by-polls date,” the BJP delegation said.

    The BJP delegation also handed over a letter to Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal in this regard.

    “We draw your attention to the program organised by the West Bengal Government in the Netaji Indoor Stadium addressed by the unelected Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Chief Secretary. In this program, the Durga Puja organising clubs were invited wherein cash donation and other facilities by the state government were announced for 36,000 clubs in the State including 2,500 clubs in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area,” read the BJP’s letter to EC. 

  • Bhowanipore bypoll: Congress not to field candidate against Mamata

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Keeping in mind the possibility of a future Opposition alliance, the Congress  has decided not to field a candidate against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the Bhowanipore bypolls in Kolkata on September 30.

    Party sources said the top leadership is not in favour of fielding a candidate against Mamata when the Opposition is trying to form a national front against BJP and she is expected to win. During a meeting called by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi last month, Mamata had harped on unity.

    The West Bengal unit headed by MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had on Monday said the state unit wants to contest against Mamata and has sent their proposal to the high command. He said that the party is looking to ally with the Left to contest the constituency.

    “There has been pressure from the state unit as they want to put up a candidate for the bypolls. They have also conveyed about the thinking of the party high command to contest the seat against the chief minister,” said a source.

    Sources said the state unit has informed that the Left will contest the seat even if the Congress decides not to. The Left-Congress contested West Bengal Assembly elections in alliance but neither of them managed to win a single seat.

    Chowdhury, who had been critical of Trinamool Congress during the Assembly elections, recently wrote to the Bengal CM that their cadres are brutally attacking Congress supporters in Murshidabad district. The Election Commission has announced bypolls for three seats — Bhowanipore, Samserganj and Jangipur — in West Bengal. Counting of votes is scheduled for October 3.

    Meanwhile, Left Front on Tuesday questioned the decision of the Election Commission to hold by-poll in only one assembly seat West Bengal on September 30 and demanded it be conducted in four other constituencies in the state at the earliest.

    After a meeting of Front constituents at the CPI-M office, the LF also gave call to make successful the general nationwide strike on September 27 by Sanjukta Kishan Morcha to protest against the three farm bills and attacks on farmers.

    The LF is supporting the strike.

    About the September 30 by-election in Bhabanipur where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the candidate of the ruling Trinamool Congress, the statement said “The EC could not prove its prudence and sagacity by its decision to hold bypoll in only one of the five seats where such exercise was due, apparently to benefit one political personality.

    “How could the chief secretary surmise in his submission to the poll panel that by not electing one personality could lead to constitutional crisis when the ruling party has its own majority to run government?” the Front asked.

    With 213 seats in its kitty the TMC could have chosen its leader from among the elected MLAs.

    It is their failure to be unable to elect their leader who will helm the state from among the elected legislators, it said.

    “By the way one veteran political leader was forced to quit Bhabanipur seat just after an emphatic win and now faces the uncertainty about being elected to the assembly within six months’ period.

    The West Bengal chief secretary didn’t refer that he too faces the uncertainity of losing ministership if not elected in six months,” the Front added.

    Banerjee had contested and lost from Nandigram and TMC old timer and state cabinet minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay contested and won from Bhabanipur, from where the party supremo had won twice since 2011.

    He has vacated the seat to facilitate Banerjee to contest from it.

    The resolution said the electorate of four other assembly constituencies – Deganga, Khardah, Santipur, Dinhata – will be deprived of exercising their democratic right for the time being and demanded that by-election to them be held at the earliest.

    The LF also demanded immediate holding of polls in six municipal corporations, 112 municipalties and Siliguri Mahakuma Parishad (Siliguri subdivisional council) which are overdue for two years following the pandemic.

    Administrators have been appointed to run them.

    The EC has announced polling on September 30 in Jangipur and Samserganj assembly seats in Murshidabad where polling was countermanded.

    The BJP on Tuesday accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is TMC’s Bhabanipur by-poll candidate, of violating the model code of conduct (MCC) by participating in a programme where the West Bengal government announced a grant of Rs 50,000 to each Durga puja organising committee ahead of the state’s biggest festival.

    The West Bengal government has announced the grant for the second year in a row primarily to make up for lost sponsorship and extra expenditure due to the Covid pandemic.

    Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi on Tuesday announced free licences as well as a 50 per cent discount on the power tariff for the committees organising Durga puja this year.

    He announced this at the programme where Banerjee met several Durga puja organisers from the city and other parts of the state.

    A three-member state BJP delegation led by party state vice-president Pratap Banerjee met the chief electoral officer here and urged the EC to take action against Banerjee for violating the model code of conduct and also restrain her from participating in the by-election.

    “We have requested the Election Commission to take action against Bhabanipur by-poll candidate Mamata Banerjee for violating the MCC by announcing cash rewards for Durga Puja clubs despite the declaration of the bypolls date and the poll guidelines being in place. We have also demanded that she should be restrained from participating in the by-poll for violating the MCC,” BJP leader Shishir Bajoria said.

    The TMC leadership refused to attach much importance to BJP’s demand.

    “The BJP after its humiliating defeat (in the April-May assembly poll) seems to have lost it. First of all the chief minister did not make any announcement. It was the chief secretary who made all the announcements. Secondly, there is nothing new in the announcements. Last year too similar announcements were made by the state government.”

    “The BJP knows they have lost the bypolls so they are now trying to make an issue out of a non-issue,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.

    BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu told PTI that names of candidates for Bhabanipur as well two other assembly seats in Murshidabad will be decided “in a day or two”.

    Earlier in the day, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said that a nominee for Bhabanipur might be chosen by Wednesday or Thursday.

    “The Election Commission has decided to hold by-elections on September 30. We had the idea that it would be held sometime later. But we must obey the EC order, we don’t oppose independent constitutional bodies like the EC, unlike the TMC,” Ghosh said.

    In a dig at the TMC supremo, he said that the ruling party, in its bid to clear the way for Banerjee, made Sovandeb Chattopadhyay vacate the Bhabanipur seat, which he had won by a wide margin.

    Speculation was rife that the TMC will field Chattopadhyay, the state agriculture minister, from Khardah constituency, where winning candidate Kajal Sinha died of COVID-19.

    “Now, with no word about bypoll in seats other than Bhabanipur, Jangipur, Samserganj, his political career has plunged into uncertainty.

    Will Chattopadhyay continue to be a minister if byelections for the remaining seats are not held by first week of November?” the BJP state president stated.

    Ghosh continued his tirade against the TMC, claiming that the state government is regularly facing setbacks in the court of law, but it would still rush from one bench to another despite the snub.

    In a jolt for the Mamata Banerjee-led government, the Calcutta High Court last month ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into allegations of “heinous” crimes in the aftermath of elections.

    On Monday, it also refrained the state police from taking any coercive action against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who is the leader of opposition in the House, in cases filed against him.

    The TMC has moved the division bench challenging the order.

    In a jibe at TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who was grilled on September 6 for around nine hours by the Enforcement Directorate in a coal smuggling case, Ghosh said, “After the interrogation, he got angry and made impossible claims of defeating the BJP everywhere. We understand his anger and frustration.”

    “He should remember that the TMC has base only in one state. Be it Tripura to elsewhere in India, the party has no influence. Any dream to defeat the BJP will remain a pipe dream,” Ghosh asserted.

    The TMC had been trying to gain foothold in Tripura, where elections are slated to be held in 2023.

    Rejecting the BJP leader’s assertions, TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP is “conspiring to harass its political opponents”, who pose threat to its electoral ambitions, with the help of central agencies such as the ED and the CBI.

    “The BJP is scared of TMC’s popularity after its massive setback in West Bengal. The party is afraid of TMC’s connection with the masses in Tripura. People in Tripura want to get rid of the Biplab Deb government. Dilip babu’s words make no sense, they are hollow,” he added.

    will launch her campaign for the September 30 by-poll in Bhabanipur assembly seat on Wednesday with a meeting of TMC workers in south Kolkata, Trinamool Congress sources said.

    Banerjee will seek election to the assembly from the seat.

    According to TMC leaders, Banerjee will address party workers and leaders of all the eight municipal wards in the constituency at an auditorium on Wednesday.

    “Mamata Didi will address party workers tomorrow (Wednesday) and give them direction on how to campaign and the issues that will be highlighted. There are strict instructions from the leadership that tomorrow’s meeting and the entire campaign will be held following COVID norms,” a senior TMC leader said.

    The TMC on Sunday officially announced Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its candidate for the by-election in Bhabanipur.

    TMC’s campaign in the south Kolkata seat is underway after the Election Commission announced the bypoll on Saturday following a request from the state government to avoid a constitutional crisis.

    Banerjee, who lost the election in Nandigram to her former protege Suvendu Adhikari, has to win this by-poll to retain her chief minister’s post.

    The BJP, Congress, and CPI(M)-led Left Front are yet to announce their candidates for the bypoll.

    The bypoll will be held on September 30 along with the elections to Samserganj and Jangipur seats in Murshidabad district where polling could not be held during the eight-phase assembly election held earlier this year.

    The counting of votes will take place on October 3.

    TMC has pulled out all the stops to ensure Banerjee’s victory by a record margin and has engaged senior leaders to look after the eight municipal wards in the constituency.

    “The party state president (Subrata Bakshi) has been given the responsibility of ward 63, party secretary-general and minister Partha Chatterjee has been assigned with ward numbers 71 and 72, state minister Firhad Hakim and other senior leaders have been asked to look after other wards. This has been done to ensure that Didi (Banerjee) wins the seat with a record margin,” another senior TMC leader said.

    Banerjee is a resident of Bhabanipur and has contested from the seat in the past two state assembly elections since 2011.

    Banerjee, who led her party to a massive electoral triumph for a third successive term, is required to win a seat in the state assembly by November 5 in conformity with the constitutional provisions to continue as chief minister.

    The Constitution allows a non-member of a state legislature or Parliament to continue in a ministerial position for six months.

    After her defeat in Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, state cabinet minister and TMC MLA from Bhabanipur, vacated the seat to facilitate her election from there.

    Banerjee had entered the Assembly after winning the by-poll in the Bhabanipur seat months after her party stormed to power by ousting the 34-year-old Left Front regime in 2011.

    She is a six-term MP from the South Kolkata Lok Sabha seat, which has the Bhabanipur seat as one of its segments.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Bhowanipore bypoll: Bengal BJP struggles to find candidate against Mamata

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Surprised by the Election Commission of India’s announcement to hold bypoll in the Bhowanipore Assembly constituency, the beleaguered Bengal BJP has appeared to be in a state of disarray on the issue of who would be its candidate to take on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the south Kolkata seat.

    When the duel between Mamata and her former lieutenant-turned-BJP-candidate Suvendu Adhikari in the Nandigram constituency drew nationwide attention in the recent Assembly polls, the saffron camp in Bengal is completely perplexed as it was not prepared to face such a high-voltage bypoll within less than a month from now.

    “There were 32 Assembly constituencies across the country where by-elections are pending because of Covid pandemic. We had no idea that the poll panel would consider the Bhowanipore constituency as an exception when it decided not to hold by-poll in the other 31 Assembly seats. We were confident that the Commission will continue toeing our line and keep deferring the bypolls so that Mamata would miss her November 5 deadline to get elected as an MLA and continue as the CM,” said a BJP leader.

    ALSO READ | Bengal bypoll: Congress unlikely to field candidate against Mamata Banerjee in Bhowanipore seat

    A section of BJP functionaries expressed their displeasure on the party’s tactical line. “When our plan of deferring the by-election did not work, it is surprising that our leadership had no plan B. They had unflinching faith in the central leadership’s ability to take the commission into confidence and defer the by-election. As a result, no one thought who could be our candidate against Mamata if the by-election is announced,” said a BJP functionary in Kolkata.

    Sections within the party eve started mulling over the moving court to get a stay from the judiciary on the by-election.

    “Our party should field a popular or heavyweight candidate against Mamata. It will send a positive message down to the grassroots despite the chances of winning is almost zero. If the party fields a weak candidate only to participate in the electoral practice, it will not go down well. Especially at a time, when our legislative strength reduced to 71 from 77,” said the leader.       

    Many, known to be from the lobby of state president Dilip Ghosh who are not happy with Adhikari’s meteoric rise in the party, suggested Adhikari’s name. “Adhikari claimed before the Assembly elections that Mamata would have lost from her erstwhile Bhowanipore constituency. Why doesn’t he resigns as Nandigram MLA and contest against Mamata?’’ said a BJP leader.

  • ‘Khela Hobe’ pitch again as Didi readies for Bhowanipore by-election battle

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  Barely four months after the close of a high-decibel Assembly election, the heat is rising once again in West Bengal politics as the date for the by-election in Bhowanipore constituency approaches.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who lost to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram Assembly constituency, will contest the by-election from the Bhowanipore seat vacated by Sovandeb Chattopadhyay. 

    The slogan Khela Hobe (there will be a game)—coined by Mamata ahead of the Assembly polls—has resurfaced in the south Kolkata constituency through graffitis.

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

    The by-election is said to be crucial for Mamata, who has to get elected as an MLA by November 5 to continue as the chife minister.

    “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 chief minister is taking the electoral battle seriously and has cancelled her visit to north Bengal soon after the by-election date was announced on Saturday.

    Mamata was elected twice in 2011 and 2016 from Bhowanipore. However, in 2021, she decided to take on her former lieutenant Suvendu Adhikari, who defected to the BJP in Nandigram.

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

    The BJP has promised to give Mamata a tough fight in Bhowanipur, which has 20 per cent non-Bengal voters, whom the saffron camp considers its vote-bank.

    However, the TMC effused confidence, banking on its consolidation of Bengali-speaking voters.     

    Giant hoardings and posters carrying Mamata’s photograph have already been put up across the constituency.

    “Wining will not at all be tough for the CM. Women electorates will extend their support as they did in the Assembly elections and Bengali voters have already rejected the BJP.” 

    The BJP, Congress, and CPI(M)-led Left Front are yet to announce candidates. The bypoll will be held on September 30 along with the elections to two seats in Murshidabad. 

  • Bengal bypolls: Trinamool begins campaigning; Congress undecided about fielding candidate against Mamata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: TMC Saturday began campaigning for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who will contest from the prestigious Bhabanipur assembly seat in the city just hours after the Election Commission announced the date of by-election on September 30.

    TMC activists started painting poll grafitti as part of the campaign.

    Slogans such as “Bhabanipur Nijer Ghorer Meyekei chai” (Bhabanipur wants her own daughter) were seen on the walls of buildings of the constituency.

    Banerjee is a resident of Bhabanipur and has contested from the seat in the past two state assembly elections since 2011.

    She had contested from Nandigram in the April-May assembly poll against BJP leader and her former protege Suvendu Adhikari and lost.

    “We are thrilled that Didi will be back in the Bhabanipur seat. This is the area where she has grown up. This has been the base of her political activity,” a local TMC leader said after kick starting the wall writing campaign.

    “For us, the challenge is not victory as we are confident about it. The challenge is to ensure Didi’s win with a record margin,” another TMC worker said.

    Banerjee is fondly called “Didi” (elder sister) by her supporters.

    Several TMC activists came down to the streets and shouted slogans hailing Banerjee as soon as the news of the bypoll dates was flashed in various news channels.

    Banerjee, who led her party to a massive electoral triumph for a third successive term, is required to win a seat in the state assembly by November 5 in conformity with the constitutional provisions in order to continue as chief minister.

    The Constitution allows a non-member of a state legislature or Parliament to continue in a ministerial position for six months.

    After her defeat in Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, state cabinet minister and TMC MLA from Bhabanipur, vacated the seat to facilitate her election from there.

    Banerjee had been elected to the Assembly after winning the by-poll in the seat months after her party stormed to power by ousting the 34-year-old Left Front regime in 2011.

    She was a six-term MP from the South Kolkata Lok Sabha seat, which has the Bhabanipur seat as one of its segments.

    Wondering what prompted the Election Commission to announce by-poll in Bhabanipur assembly seat this month end, WBPCC president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Saturday said he will not describe it as being inclined any political party.

    Congress, he said, will collectively take a stand on contesting the Bhabanipur seat against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is slated to be in the fight for the prestigious seat.

    “I will not join those who will say EC is close to BJP, nor will I join those who will say EC has proximity with TMC,” he said adding he had no idea what prompted EC to announce by-poll only for Bhabanipur out of the five where it is due.

    To another question, Chowdhury said the TMC government has done a grave injustice by not holding municipal polls for over two years across the state “Municipalties have become places of loot and corruption with TMC appointing its own people as administrators instead of government officers at the local level which should be the practice.

    By this the TMC has brought back its own leaders to helm local bodies undemocratically,” he added.

    BJP and the CPI(M) on Saturday expressed reservations about the Election Commission’s decision to hold by-poll in Bhabanipur assembly constituency, from where West Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee plans to contest, on September 30, while the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Congress welcomed it.

    Polling for “deferred adjourned” elections in two assembly seats of West Bengal – Samserganj and Jangirpur – will also be held on September 30, the Election Commission announced earlier in the day in New Delhi.

    However, citing Covid-19 situation, the EC decided not to hold by-elections in four other assembly seats in the state which are also lying vacant due to deaths and resignations of MLAs.

    “We had always maintained that holding by-polls and polls to all the seats should be held together when the Covid-19 situation improves.

    We don’t know if holding by-election to one seat and election to two seats is a practical decision since the pandemic is still raging and there is the threat of third wave.

    However, we accept the decision of the EC,” opposition leader in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, said.

    Adhikari defeated Banerjee from the Nandigram seat in the assembly elections held earlier this year.

    The ruling TMC is keen on the by-polls as Banerjee will have to get elected within six months to continue as the CM.

    In that case, the by-polls must be conducted by November 5.

    The decision proved that the TMC’s allegations that the EC is being controlled by the BJP are false, he said.

    BJP state president Dilip Ghosh wondered why the election to urban local bodies in the state are being held up for years while assembly by-election is facilitated when the TMC enjoys absolute majority.

    Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim said, “The bypoll was a necessity as per constitutional norms but the BJP was trying to derail the process for narrow partisan interest. We hail the decision of the EC. We will follow all Covid-19 guidelines.”

    The Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya said it is a welcome decision of the EC since holding bypolls within six months of counting is mandatory.

    CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty said, “Announcing the (by-election) date is welcome from the constitutional point of view.

    But why only Bhabanipur and two seats? Why not bypolls in other seats and elections in other seats?” He said while elections to different bodies were regularly held during the 34 years of the Left Front rule, elections to different municipalities were overdue for over two years.

    Banerjee had moved out of her traditional seat in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur to fight in Nandigram during the assembly polls.

    After the election results were out, senior TMC leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay who won from Bhabanipur vacated the seat to allow Banerjee to contest from there.

    Banerjee had won from Bhabanipur twice since 2011.

  • Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to Mamata Banerjee alleging attacks

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Congress Parliamentary Party leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury on Saturday sent a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging he was attacked by ruling Trinamool Congress activists during his visit to Raninagar area of Murshidabad district.

    Reports said the WBPCC president was shown black flags during his visit to the area on September 3 to meet his party activists who were allegedly attacked by TMC on Thursday and three of their houses vandalised during a clash.

    In his letter to Banerjee, Chowdhury said that atrocities were committed by ruling party’s cadres on Congress supporters in Raninagar-II block in Murshidabad district.

    “It is a blatant misuse of power and democratic rights of innocent people residing over there. On hearing news of (the) incident, I personally visited that area and faced atrocities myself.”

    Chowdhury, who had two days ago flagged the issue of alleged attack on his party members in Murshidabad including the Raninagar incident, said in the letter, “I have already intimated you about the matter and once again plead to pass a necessary instruction to the local police and administration to prevent any further atrocity of this kind.”

    If there is this “kind of situation” it is a “discredit” to the chief minister’s post, he said.

    Chowdhury said “I would specifically like to point out that the local administration had completely failed to bring the situation to normalcy. I hope you will surely see the matter seriously and a hasty action is taken to prevent loss of life and property of innocent people.”

    Several houses were vandalised and property looted in a clash between Congress and TMC activists at Raninagar in the district on Thursday.

    Chowdhury had earlier alleged that TMC activists had carried out attacks on Congress supporters in the area without any provocation, beat up three local party men and vandalised and looted their houses and properties.

    When Chowdhury went to the spot there was demonstration before his convoy and black flags were waved at him.

    The local TMC leadership said the clash was a fallout between two Congress factions in the area and the party was not involved.

    They alleged that Chowdhury visited the spot to instigate trouble and local people were against the reign of terror let loose by Congress in the area.

  • 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.  

  • EC announces holding bypolls for three assembly seats in Bengal, one in Odisha on September 30

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Saturday announced holding bypolls on September 30 in one assembly constituency of Odisha and three of West Bengal, including the Bhabanipur seat where Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee intends to contest.

    Counting of votes will be held on October 3.

    This will allow Mamata Banerjee a chance to become a member of the state legislative assembly.

    Banerjee had moved out of her traditional Bhabanipur seat to fight in Nandigram during the Assembly polls earlier this year but lost to his former close aide Suvendhu Adhikari who contested on a BJP ticket.

    Adhikari is now the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

    The Election Commission said in a statement that it has decided to hold a by-election in Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency of West Bengal.

    Bypolls will also be held in Samserganj and Jangirpur of West Bengal and Pipli in Odisha on September 30.

    Counting will be held on October 3.

    According to an Election Commission press note, the West Bengal chief secretary has informed that in view of administrative exigencies and public interest and to avoid a vacuum in the state, bye-elections for Bhabanipur, from where CM Mamata Banerjee intends to contest elections, may be conducted.

    “While the commission has decided not to hold bye-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-Bhabanipur AC,” it said.

  • EC announces bypoll in Bhabanipur assembly seat where WB CM Mamata Banerjee plans to contest

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Bypoll to the Bhabanipur assembly seat in West Bengal, from where Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee plans to contest, would be held on September 30, the Election Commission announced on Saturday.

    Polling for three “deferred adjourned” elections — in two assembly seats of West Bengal and one of Odisha — will also be held on September 30.

    Elections in these seats — Samserganj and Jangirpur in West Bengal and Pipli in Odisha — could not be held due to various reasons, including the death of candidates during electioneering earlier this year.

    Counting on all four seats will take place on October 3.

    EC said it has kept “much stricter” norms as an abundant caution to safeguard from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Bhabanipur bypoll will allow Mamata Banerjee a chance to become a member of the state legislative assembly.

    ALSO READ | Pipili bypoll on September 30, results on October 3

    Banerjee had moved out of her traditional seat in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur to fight in Nandigram during the Assembly polls earlier this year but lost to his former close aide Suvendu Adhikari who contested on a BJP ticket.

    Adhikari is now the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

    After the election results, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the TMC MLA from Bhabanipur constituency vacated the seat to allow Banerjee to contest from there.

    Banerjee had won from Bhabanipur twice since 2011.

    According to an Election Commission press note, the West Bengal chief secretary has informed that in view of administrative exigencies and public interest and to avoid a vacuum in the state, by-elections for Bhabanipur, from where CM Mamata Banerjee intends to contest elections, may be conducted.

    She has to become a member of the state legislature by November 5.

    Referring to its decision to hold assembly polls in Samserganj and Jangipur of West Bengal, and Pipli of Odisha where elections were earlier deferred, EC said since candidates and political parties for these three seats have already “availed” the campaign period from April 29 to May 3 this year, campaigning will only be allowed from September 20 in these seats.

    Based on inputs received from states where bypolls are due, EC said it has decided not to hold by-elections in other 31 assembly constituencies and three Parliamentary constituencies in view of the Covid situation, floods and festival season.