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Tag: Trinamool

  • BJP worker stabbed to death in Bengal; party blames Trinamool

    By PTI

    KANTHI: The BJP on Sunday alleged that a party member was lynched by TMC supporters in West Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district, an accusation rubbished by the ruling side.

    The body of Sambhu Maity was found with multiple stab wounds from the bank of Keleghai river near a college in Bhagabanpur area, police said.

    A case has registered and the matter is being investigated from all angles, they said.

    Goons allegedly sheltered by the TMC asked Sambhu out of his home in Muhammadpur village around midnight, and lynched him, Bhagabanpur BJP MLA Rabindranath Maity claimed.

    “Even after eight-nine months of the election, BJP workers are being murdered in cold blood by Trinamool Congress, which does not believe in giving free space to opponents as it believes in the politics of murder and bloodshed,” he said.

    If police do not nab the culprits, the BJP will start an agitation, he added.

    Local TMC leaders claimed that Sambhu was a victim of infighting within the BJP.

    The BJP is trying to disrupt prevailing peace in the area, they alleged.

    The BJP has alleged that at least 30 party workers were killed in violence following the assembly elections in West Bengal, inviting sharp criticism from the TMC which has maintained that the opposition party was trying to gain political mileage by misrepresenting incidents of family feuds and local disputes.

  • Post bypoll debacle, rift in Bengal BJP ranks for roping in outsiders

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  Sharp rift in the BJP’s West Bengal chapter surfaced following the debacle in the recent by-elections in four Assembly constituencies, in which the saffron camp failed to retain two of its seats.

    Differences between the party’s organisational leaders and elected representatives emerged after the high-command assigned party MLAs to oversee the by-poll keeping aside the district-level leaders.

    A section of party functionaries said the MLAs, who were tasked to secure impressive results in the by-elections, were from outside and they were not familiar with the constituencies where the by-polls were held.

    “MLA from Hooghly’s Arambag Madhusudan Bag was assigned to oversee the by-election in Gosaba, South 24 Parganas. He never participated any electoral activities in this district, a Trinamool Congress’s citadel. He took more than two weeks to develop good contacts with the district-level leaders.”

    “The electoral characters of the voters of the constituency was completely unknown to him. As a result, our party bagged only 9.95 per cent votes and the TMC won by a huge margin of 1,43,051 votes. Our vote-share dropped by more than 31 per cent comparing to BJP’s performance in the 2021 Assembly elections,’’ said a BJP leader.

    Similarly, the MLAs from north Bengal was tasked to take care of Khardah Assembly seats where the BJP too faced a debacle as the TMC won by more than 90,000 votes    

    The saffron camp lost its deposit in both Gosaba and Khardah along with Dinhata in Cooch Behar out of four seats where by-poll was held.

    The BJP managed to save its deposit only at Shantipur in Nadia, a constituency dominated by Hindu refugees migrated from Bangladesh.  

    Lone bastion

    The BJP managed to save its deposit only at Shantipur in Nadia, a constituency dominated by Hindu refugees migrated from Bangladesh.

  • Goal is to serve country; time to focus on my journey in politics: Leander Paes

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Tennis legend Leander Paes, who took a plunge into politics during a recent TMC rally in Goa, said that he wanted to create a difference in society by thwarting all attempts to divide it on religious and racial lines.

    Paes, having proved his mettle in tennis courts, now sought to champion the cause of common people as “I have always wanted to serve the country in one way or the other”.

    In an interview to PTI, he said, “Thirty years ago, I had started out as a tennis player. Then and now, my goal to serve the country remains the same, just that the vehicle or the medium has changed.”

    The tennis star hailed TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a “born leader”, who can achieve anything she sets her mind to.

    “Back in 2014, I had said that I would like to join politics. From a very young age, I always wanted to serve our country, to make India proud. And now is the right moment (to join politics) as I have already spent 30 years of my life representing India as a sportsperson on global platforms,” he said.

    The athlete-turned-politician thanked Banerjee for giving him this opportunity.

    “Now I have the time, passion and energy to focus on my journey in politics. It is my long association with Mamata didi that gives me this feeling of comfort to start a new chapter,” he stated.

    Speaking on the current state of affairs in India, he said politics was being used as a tool to divide people on religious and racial lines, and he, too, had to face questions on his lineage in the past.

    “It deeply pains me when I see the divisive tactics employed to create divisions on the basis of religion, caste, and colour. I, myself, have been questioned about my lineage many times.”

    “Yes, I was born to a Bengali mother and a Goan father, but I am an Indian. I believe that politics should only have one purpose and that is good governance because only healthy, happy people can create a healthy, happy nation,” Paes, who has clinched 18 Grand Slam titles, underlined.

    The Padma Bhushan awardee, however, declined to give a direct reply when asked if he would be contesting elections in Goa early next year.

    “I am a team player here. We ideate, we discuss, we create dialogue, and we also make decisions as a team. So if the captain of our team, Mamata Banerjee, decides to field me as a candidate for the elections, she will let all of us know,” he said.

    He, nevertheless, maintained that it would be an honour for him to serve his “fellow citizens” in Goa.

    “There are several issues that plague our beautiful state of Goa. Some of them are shortage of potable water and public health facilities. Transport availability, sewage disposal, fair trade for fisher folk and unemployment are also matters that need to be looked into. We need to ensure that education is made affordable for the youth,” he noted.

    Asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting with Pope Francis would have any impact on assembly polls in Goa, where Christians constitute a sizeable chunk of the population, Paes asserted that “voters do not get swayed by this kind of news”.

    “I have had the good opportunity to meet the Pope in the past. I am very happy that our PM got this wonderful opportunity, too. I feel excited to have heard the news that our Pope might be visiting our beautiful country. I am really looking forward to it,” he said.

    At the end of the day, all people want is someone who would listen to their problems and offer solutions, the Davis Cup winner emphasised.

    Talking about Banerjee, Paes, who was born and raised in Kolkata, said she is a dynamic leader, who keeps her promises.

    “She is a sympathiser of the poor and the downtrodden. She’s a doer. She believes that it’s her job to serve people, and she doesn’t expect anybody to be in her service.

    Mamata Banerjee is one person who is capable of achieving anything that she sets her mind to,” the tennis icon added.

  • Rights panel seeks report from Biplab Deb government on Tripura violence

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday directed the Tripura government to file a detailed report within four weeks on the violence against Muslims in the state.

    The rights panel passed the order on a complaint filed by the National Spokesperson of All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Social Activist, Saket Gokhale who raised the issue of rising incidents of political violence and communal violence against Muslims in Tripura.

    The complaint alleges that the state machinery “acted like a bystander by siding with the violent mob”. Seeking NHRC’s intervention in the matter, Gokhale said there is an atmosphere of immense fear amongst the members of the minority community in the affected area with regard to their life and safety.

    The post Durga Puja violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has found disturbing resonance in Tripura.

    The last few days have seen violent protests in the capital Agartala and other towns by the VHP and Hindu Jagran Manch, many of which have reportedly turned into mobilisations against local Muslims and also led to vandalisation of mosques.

    Gokhale, in his complaint, also alleged that the workers of ruling party of the state had attacked leaders of All India Trinamool Congress while they were campaigning in the state and during such incidents of political violence, one of the sitting Members of Parliament and other workers of AITC sustained injuries, their vehicle were vandalized and belongings were stolen.

    Pertinently, the Tripura High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the issue of violence in North Tripura District, Unakoti District as well as Sipahijala District and has called upon the state to file a detailed response by November 10.

    Taking cognizance of the complaint, the NHRC directed the Tripura government’s Chief Secretary and the state’s Director-General of Police to submit an action taken report within a period of four weeks.

    “The concerned authorities have also been asked to intimate the Commission if any notice, order, etc., has been received by him/them in the instant matter from the State Human Rights Commission. If yes, a copy of such order be also sent to the Commission within four weeks,” the commission said.

  • Bengal bypolls drain BJP of previous gains, ‘chastened’ CPM less damaged

    Express News Service

    KOLKATA:  The inroads made by BJP in the two previous West Bengal polls, banking on the drain in the CPI(M)’s voter base, received a massive jolt in the by-elections after the same set of electorates shunned the saffron camp and changed their allegiance to the ruling TMC.

    The BJP’s vote-share in the bypolls dipped to around 13 per cent from 37 per cent in the recent Assembly elections, indicating that the electorates once having allegiance to CPI(M) and later to the BJP shifted their loyalty to TMC.

    Surprisingly, there was no further erosion in CPI(M)’s vote-share of around 7 per cent that the party had secured in the recent Assembly polls which remained intact in the bypolls. 

    However, Congress bled badly in the bypoll battle as the national party’s vote share came down below 1 per cent in the four constituencies.   

    In its so called north Bengal stronghold, the saffron camp had bagged Dinhata Assembly constituency with a vote-share of 47.6 per cent which dropped to 11.33 per cent in the bypoll.

    “It was unexpected. Though our candidate Nisith Pramanik, who is the MP of Cooch Behar and presently the Union minister for state, had a slender victory, we expected a tough battle between the BJP and the TMC. I never imagined that our loosing margin would be more than 1.64 lakh votes,” admitted a BJP leader.

    Leaders of the Bengal’s ruling party said the CPI(M)’s lower rung leaders realised their strategy to derail Mamata Banerjee’s government was faulty and rectified themselves in the bypolls.

    “In the 2021 Assembly elections, the Left Front joined hands with Congress and the newly formed Indian Secular Force (ISF) thinking they would take revenge for the 2011 debacle in which Bengal witnessed the end of LF’s 34-year era. But they realised it would not be possible as majority of the state’s electorate stood by us,” said a TMC leader.

    CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb said the party managed to keep its vote-bank intact because of its loyal supporters.

    “We secured around seven per cent votes in the recent Assembly elections. Those electorates were loyal supporters of our party, and in the by-elections they voted for our candidates,” said Deb.

  • Trouble for Congress? Bypoll results indicate regional parties’ dominance

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The bypoll results may have been a face saver for the Congress but the party was not even in runner-up position in seats with multi-corner contest in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and other northeast states, reflecting its weakening hold in states with strong regional players and need for a united front to defeat the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha election.

    The opposition parties are of the view that if they join hands in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress should contest against the saffron party on seats where it is in direct fight and let the regional players contest more seats in states where they have a bigger base.   

    The Trinamool Congress that swept the by-election in West Bengal was quick to offer an olive branch to the grand old party after leaders from both parties were engaged in a war of words after the TMC said that it couldn’t rely on the Congress for 2024 battle against the BJP.

    The Congress has questioned the TMC’s intention to contest upcoming Goa Assembly elections.        

    “The mindset has to change — We are equal partners in the opposition. Let’s work together on this, rather than talk down to us. There is no need to fight. Our single goal is to defeat the BJP,” said TMC leader Derek O’Brien.

    A senior Congress leader said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee knows that a united front is not possible without the Congress as the latter is in direct fight with the BJP on 200-230 Lok Sabha seats.

    The slow progress to make a united front is bothering several opposition leaders and this was also pointed out by the TMC when it said that it had waited for months to get a response from the Congress to work on a united front and later decided to expand its footprints in other states.  

    ALSO READ | Bengal bypolls drain BJP of previous gains, ‘chastened’ CPM less damaged

    “There is no progress so far in formation of a united opposition front but for a few meetings that happened during the parliament session. We need to plan things at the earliest to take on the BJP, else things will be out of control and 2024 would also slip out of our hands,” said an opposition leader, citing Bihar bypoll results where JD (U) won on both seats.

    He said the results could have been different if the RJD and Congress had put up a joint candidate.

    Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora on Wednesday said there is an urgent need for the Congress to do a serious and meaningful introspection in the wake of party’s “devastating defeat” in the assembly bypolls in Assam.

    Bora also said he has information that a large number of Congress leaders in Assam were contemplating to leave the party and to join the BJP or the TMC.

    “It has become very urgent for the Congress to carry out a serious and meaningful introspection of the results of the by-elections in Assam,” he told reporters here.

    In the assembly by-polls held in five constituencies in Assam, the Congress failed to win even a single seat while the BJP won in three and the remaining two were won by the saffron party’s ally UPPL.

    Among the three seats the BJP won, two were held by Congress leaders — Sushanta Borgohain and Rupjyoti Kurmi — who had deserted the party and joined the BJP.

    Both were nominated by the BJP and won the by-elections.

    Bora said the analysis of the results of the by-elections showed that it is “very surprising and devastating defeat” for the Congress party.

    ALSO READ | Bypoll take aways: BJP CMs in focus after MP victory, Himachal rout

    The MP said the results of the bypolls generally goes in favour of the ruling party and this happened in the by-polls held in six assembly seats in 2016, 2017 and 2019 during his tenure as President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

    During that time, however, the Congress had been able to increase the vote in the by-elections compared to the previous general elections, he said.

    Even in the bypolls to the Lakhimpur Lok Sabha seat held in 2016, the Congress could increase the votes in comparison to the 2014 general elections.

    “The result of this by-elections has seriously demoralised the rank and file of the party. Such huge decrease of the Congress votes within the gap of six months is very unfortunate,” he said.

    The MP also said that in two assembly constituencies — Thowra and Mariani — there is no record of such “dismal performance” by the Congress in the electoral history of the party in Assam.

    (With PTI Inputs)    

  • Bypoll fallout, claims Opposition on slashing of fuel prices

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  While the Opposition termed the decision to cut excise duty on fuel as “too little, too late” and linked it to the BJP’s reverses in the recent bypolls, the Centre sought to put them on the mat, saying Opposition-ruled states will now have to walk the talk on slashing VAT if they really care for the poor. While the Centre takes the excise duty call, VAT is in the domain of state governments. 

    The Congress complimented the people for showing the mirror of truth to the ‘tax-parasitic’ government.

    “In 2021, price of petrol was hiked by Rs 28 and diesel by Rs 26 a litre. After losing 14 by-elections and 2 Lok Sabhas, reducing petrol-diesel price by Rs 5 & Rs 10 is tom-tommed as ‘Diwali Gift’,” Congress spokesperson Surjewala said.

    The Trinamool Congress was equally dismissive.

    “After months of causing hardship and pain to millions, excise duty on petrol and diesel was tweaked by stunt masters M&S,” tweeted Trinamool leader Derek O’Brien.

    Left parties said the Centre was treating fuel price as a source of revenue generation.

    “Bypoll results clearly indicated popular mood against Modi and his government. Farmers have been agitating for several months and they have no concerns,” said CPI general secretary D Raja.

    Government sources, however, claimed Opposition-ruled states will now be under pressure.

    “Delhi levies 30% VAT on petrol; Mumbai 26% plus Rs 10.12 per litre; Kolkata 25% or Rs 13.12 a litre, whichever is higher; Hyderabad 35.20%; and Rajasthan 36%. Compare that to 20% in BJP-ruled Gujarat,” they said.

  • Bengal bypolls: Trinamool leads in all four seats, including BJP bastion Dinhata

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress was leading on Tuesday in all four assembly seats where bypolls were held on October 30, as per the initial trends.

    The counting of votes to Khardah, Santipur, Gosaba and Dinhata began at 8 am amid tight security.

    After the first round of counting, the TMC was leading in all the seats, Election Commission officials said.

    “Counting of votes is happening smoothly. There is no report of any untoward incident till 9 am,” an official of the poll panel said.

    Besides imposing section 144 on a 100 metre radius of counting venues, there is a tight three-tier security layer around them, he said.

    The bypolls were necessitated as the BJP MLAs of Dinhata and Santipur resigned to retain their MP seats, while the TMC legislators of Kharadah and Gosaba died.

  • TMC clean sweeps bypoll with 4-0 win, Mamata Banerjee says Bengal chooses development over hate politics

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The ruling Trinamool Congress on Tuesday won all four by-elections held last Saturday, according to updates by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

    The TMC roller-coasted to victory in Dinhata assembly seat which its Minister of State for Home Nishith Paramanik had won earlier this year, by a record margin of 1,64,089 votes in assembly by-elections held last Saturday.

    The ruling party also retained the Khardah assembly segment by winning the seat by an impressive margin of 93,832 votes.

    West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee quickly congratulated her party candidates for the “victory”.

    “My heartiest congratulations to all the four winning candidates! This victory is people’s victory, as it shows how Bengal will always choose development and unity over propaganda and hate politics.

    “With people’s blessings, we promise to continue taking Bengal to greater heights!” she said in a twitter post.

    The Trinamool Congress candidate Subrata Mondal Tuesday won the Gosaba assembly by-poll by a massive margin of 1,43,051 votes.

    TMC’s Subrata Mondal secured 1,61,474 votes, whereas BJP’s Palash Rana, his nearest rival, garnered a mere 18,428 votes.

    In the Dinhata assembly seat in Coochbehar, TMC’s Udayan Guha secured votes 1,14,086 votes, whereas BJP’s Palash Rana, the nearest rival, garnered mere 20,254 votes.

    The bypoll for the Dinhata assembly segment was necessitated after central minister Nisith Pramanik who had won the seat by a slender margin of just 57 votes resigned to retain his Coochbehar Lok Sabha seat.

    In the Khardah assembly segment, state minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay defeated his nearest rival the BJP’s Joy Saha by a margin of 93,832 votes.

    Chattopadhyay secured 1,14,086 votes, whereas Saha managed to bag 20,254 votes.

    The bypoll to this assembly segment was necessitated following the death of the sitting TMC MLA.

    In Santipur assembly constituency, famous for its handloom industry which had turned into a BJP citadel in the assembly elections held earlier this year, TMC’s Braja Kishore Goswami led over his nearest rival – BJP’s Niranjan Biswas – by a margin of 41,364 votes.

    Goswami bagged 77,555 votes, whereas Biswas bagged 36,191 votes after the twelfth round.

    Officials said that besides imposing section 144 on a 100-metre radius of counting venues, there is a tight three-tier security layer around them.

  • After Rahul, Mamata visit Goa, CM Sawant says he welcomes ‘political tourism’

    By PTI

    PANAJI: In view of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attending separate programmes in Goa, where elections are due in February next year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said such political tourism will help revive the taxi and hotel business, which had taken a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    This is political tourism. During the next four months, the taxi and hotel businesses, which had suffered due to the pandemic would get a good business with such kind of tourism, the chief minister told reporters.

    Sawant said he wanted leaders of national parties to come to Goa so that business (of the hotel industry and taxi operators) would grow.

    Referring to Rahul Gandhi riding pillion a two-wheeler taxi during his visit to Goa on Saturday, Sawant said, I felt good that he rode pillion a two-wheeler taxi. It must be the first time for him. We have been travelling on two-wheeler taxis and in rickshaws.

    Downplaying Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with fisherfolk, Sawant said he has been meeting fishermen every day whenever he visits the market and listens to their grievances.

    TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently visited Goa where her party will contest its maiden polls in February.

    Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be visiting Goa on Monday.