The CPI(M)-led Left Front on Thursday announced candidates for 16 of West Bengal’s 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, keeping the doors open for a seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress. Announcing the first list of candidates, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said that of the 16 names announced, 14 are new, of whom three are women. He told a press conference that the Left Front will “not say no” if Congress wanted to have seat adjustment with it.
Tag: West Bengal politics
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Instead of writing to PM, Mamata should address reason behind flooding in West Bengal: Dilip Ghosh
By PTI
KOLKATA: BJP on Tuesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should address the reason behind the flooding of vast parts of the state rather than writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top central officials and the neighbouring Jharkhand government.
BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh told a press meet here that the flood situation in vast stretches of East and West Midnapore districts, Hooghly and Howrah has worsened over the years due to the inaction of Trinamool Congress in the past 10 years and the Left Front government previous to it.
“What did Mamata Banerjee do other than blaming the Centre for the floods ? Where did the crores of Rupees sent by Centre and international funding agencies to undertake dredging of canals go? There is poor maintenance by the state irrigation department.
“She only undertakes aerial survey, blames DVC and Centre and writes letters to the PM. Her officials write to their central counterparts, to Jharkhand government. What can the Jharkhand government do in this matter? She should address the reasons for the floods in Bengal,” Ghosh commented.
Banerjee has accused DVC of releasing excess water from its barrages after the heavy rains last week without information during the night.
The water discharged by DVC had claimed lives and affected lakhs of people, she said and demanded dredging of the barrages and dams of the Jharkhand government.
Ghosh in turn accused Banerjee of taking steps like writing to the prime minister and Jharkhnd government only to divert attention from her failures to tackle the annual flooding.
Ghosh said he was not opposed to TMC rushing its delegations to other parts of country after an incident of political importance, “But they (TMC) should remember how they prevent opposition leaders like those from BJP when they head to any place which have witnessed brutal attacks by Trinamool Congress goons. We are not allowed to meet the affected families and Section 144 Cr PC is promulgated to prevent us.”
To a question Ghosh said he was personally not in favour of a political party organising Durga Puja.
“I have no issue if some of us in the party are behind any Durg Puja on their own”.
BJP had organised its first Durga Puja in the city in 2020.
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Bengal bypolls: Mamata Banerjee wins Bhowanipore by-election, Trinamool ahead in two Murshidabad seats too
By Express News Service
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has won the Bhowanipore by-election by a margin of 58,389 votes.
Banerjee, the TMC candidate for the Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata, secured 84,709 votes, after 21st and final round of counting.
Mamata broke her party’s victory margin record of 49,936 votes in 2011 Assembly elections, the year she derailed LF’s 34-year regime.
The TMC was also leading in Murshidabad’s Samserganj and Jangipur where counting of votes for assembly elections was underway.
ALSO READ: BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal writes to HC over fear of violence after result declaration
Banerjee, the TMC candidate for the Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata, secured 84,709 votes.
Her nearest rival, BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal, secured 26,320 votes, while Srijib Biswas of the CPI(M) secured 4201 votes.
Although Banerjee claimed victory in a press conference outside her residence, the EC is yet to officially announce the results as they are yet to compile the votes secured through postal ballots.
“I want to thank the people of Bhabanipur, West Bengal and West Bengal, who were waiting for these results. The people of Bhabanipur have given a befitting reply to the conspiracy that was hatched to defeat me in Nandigram. I don’t want to say much on a sub-judice matter. The counting is over, and we have won the seat by a margin of 58832 votes,” she said.
ALSO READ: EC asks Bengal chief secy to ensure no celebration over Bhawanipore bypoll results
The chief minister had earlier lost the Nandigram elections narrowly to her former aide Suvendu Adhikari, now leader of the opposition from the BJP in the state assembly.
She has since filed a legal challenge to the election result.
After Banerjee’s defeat in Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, a state minister, vacated the Bhabanipur seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there.
The TMC is also ahead in Murshidabad’s Samserganj and Jangipur constituencies, where votes are being counted for the assembly elections.
In Samserganj, TMC candidate Amirul Islam is leading by 25 195 votes after the twenty-two round of counting.
WATCH |
He secured 91826 votes, while his nearest rival, Zaidur Rahaman of the Congress, got 66,631.
Jangipur’s TMC nominee Jakir Hossain is leading by a massive margin of 64,529 votes after the twenty-one rounds of counting.
Hossain secured 1,00,560 votes, and his nearest rival, BJP’s Sujit Das, got 36, 031.
As reports of Banerjee’s massive lead came in, TMC supporters hit streets across the state to celebrate.
On the other side, the state offices of the BJP and the CPI (M) wore a deserted look.
Voting in the seats was held on September 30.
(With PTI Inputs)
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Bengal bypolls: Mamata Banerjee wins Bhowanipore by record margin
By Express News Service
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday secured stunning victory from Bhowanipore breaking all the records of Trinamool Congress’ victory margin since the constituency’s inception in 2011 after delimitation. She secured victory with a margin of 58,835 votes with BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal trailing behind.
“The verdict of Bhowanipore was a reply to the conspiracy that was hatched against me in Nandigram. The Nandigram election result is pending with the court. I secured lead from all the wards of the civic body in Bhowanipore,” said Mamata standing on the courtyard of her residence in Kalighat along with her family members.
The TMC won two other Assembly constituencies, Samsherganj and Jangipur, where general elections were held after candidates died of Covid. The BJP candidate Milan Ghosh lost her deposit in minority-dominated Samsherganj while the Left Front’s candidates lost their deposits in all three seats.
Mamata’s victory in Bhowanipore is said to be significant as she needed to get elected as an MLA to retain the chair of the administrative head of the state after her defeat in Nandigram in the recent Assembly elections. When the Bengal CM got 71.9 per cent of the total votes polled, her contender and BJP’s Priyanka bagged 22.17 per cent votes.
Mamata’s reference to leading in all the municipal wards in Bhowanipore was found significant as the BJP secured lead from two of the pockets in the constituency in the recent Assembly polls which are dominated by non-Bengali voters who form around 40 per cent of the total electorates. When the BJP trusted their non-Bengali vote-bank in the by-election, Mamata made it clear that she made deep inroads in the saffron camp’s citadel.
“She (Mamata) broke all records in Bhowanipore. In 2011, our candidate won by 49,936 votes and in the by-election Mamata won with a margin of 54,213 votes. This time, she broke her own record,’’ said a senior TMC leader.
Welcoming Mamata’s victory, BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar said, “Around 57 per cent of the voters turned up at the polling booths. It shows a large number of voters either did not exercised their franchise or they were not allowed to. We welcome those who supported our candidate and we will contest in the by-elections in the four Assembly constituencies which will be held on October 30,’’ he said.
Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the poor turnout of voters showed a majority of the people in Bhowanipore had no interest in the by-election.
While welcoming the verdict of Bhowanipore’s voters, Mamata announced candidates for four Assembly constituencies—Khardah, Shantipur, Dinhata and Gosaba—where by-poll will be held on October 30. Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, who won from Bhowanipore in the Assembly elections but tendered resignation to pave the way for Mamata, will contest from Khardah.
ALSO READ: BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal writes to HC over fear of violence after result declaration
Her nearest rival, BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal, secured 26,320 votes, while Srijib Biswas of the CPI(M) secured 4201 votes.
Although Banerjee claimed victory in a press conference outside her residence, the EC is yet to officially announce the results as they are yet to compile the votes secured through postal ballots.
“I want to thank the people of Bhabanipur, West Bengal and West Bengal, who were waiting for these results. The people of Bhabanipur have given a befitting reply to the conspiracy that was hatched to defeat me in Nandigram. I don’t want to say much on a sub-judice matter. The counting is over, and we have won the seat by a margin of 58832 votes,” she said.
ALSO READ: EC asks Bengal chief secy to ensure no celebration over Bhawanipore bypoll results
The chief minister had earlier lost the Nandigram elections narrowly to her former aide Suvendu Adhikari, now leader of the opposition from the BJP in the state assembly.
She has since filed a legal challenge to the election result.
After Banerjee’s defeat in Nandigram, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, a state minister, vacated the Bhabanipur seat to facilitate her return to the assembly from there.
WATCH |
He secured 91826 votes, while his nearest rival, Zaidur Rahaman of the Congress, got 66,631.
Jangipur’s TMC nominee Jakir Hossain is leading by a massive margin of 64,529 votes after the twenty-one rounds of counting.
Hossain secured 1,00,560 votes, and his nearest rival, BJP’s Sujit Das, got 36, 031.
As reports of Banerjee’s massive lead came in, TMC supporters hit streets across the state to celebrate.
On the other side, the state offices of the BJP and the CPI (M) wore a deserted look.
Voting in the seats was held on September 30.
(With PTI Inputs)
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BJP’s Dilip Ghosh pushed and heckled in Bhabanipur by alleged TMC workers, EC seeks report
By PTI
KOLKATA: BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh was Monday pushed and heckled by alleged TMC supporters in Bhabanipur assembly constituency, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is in the fray, provoking his security officer to whip out a pistol, as political temperature rose on the last day of electioneering.
The Election Commission has sought a report from the state government on the incident.
BJP MP Arjun Singh faced “go back” slogans by ruling TMC workers while campaigning for party candidate Priyanka Tibrewal.
National TV channels showed Ghosh being pushed and heckled on a road as a posse of security guards tried to shield him. A suspected TMC supporter was seen grabbing a security man by his collar who swiftly pulled out a pistol to scare away the crowd.
The incident occurred when Ghosh had gone inside a vaccination camp in Jodubabur Bazaar area in the constituency, where by-poll will be held on September 30.
TMC supporters present at the spot shouted slogans demanding that he leave, alleging he was campaigning at a state-run vaccination programme.
Ghosh, who was whisked away by his security guards, later alleged TMC supporters “attacked” him without provocation and injured a BJP activist.
“We will take up the issue with the Election Commission. What kind of election this is?” he asked.
Sources in the office of the state’s chief electoral officer said the Election Commission had sought a report from the state government by 4 pm.
It was not yet known if the state had sent its report to the poll panel or contents thereof.
Arjun Singh, who is in charge of the BJP campaign in the constituency, faced “go back” slogans and called “bohiragato” (outsider) as he went around the area soliciting votes.
Singh, a multiple-term former TMC MLA, now represents Barrackpore constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari, Mamata Banerjee’s nemesis in Nandigram, demanded that the Election Commission take action against those responsible for the incident.
“The situation here is ‘nazuk’ (fragile). But BJP workers will fight till their last breath and not quit,” he asserted. Senior TMC leader Madan Mitra said everybody has the right to campaign door-to-door in the constituency but not to intimidate people with a weapon.
“It’s not Godhra or Bhatpara, it’s Bhabanipur. BJP will get a befitting reply for its actions on September 30,” he said.
Arjun Singh accused the state administration and police of doing nothing even when MPs and national level BJP leaders were being attacked.
TMC leader Firhad Hakim, a minister, accused the BJP of provoking the people to create disturbance in the peaceful middle class neighbourhood.
“BJP is resorting to provocation sensing defeat. It is better to ignore them. Common people are protesting against them for spreading hatred, falsehood and indulging in personal attacks,” Hakim said.
In a tweet, the TMC allleged that Ghosh’s bodyguard had brandished firearms to scare away the people.
“@BJP4Bengal HITS A NEW LOW! How DARE a gun be aimed at (the) public in broad daylight? Do people not have the right to protest against leaders they do not support? Such blatant violation of human rights is shameful! This compromises the safety and security of people in Bhabanipur!” the party tweeted.
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‘I haven’t compromised my ideology’: Sushmita Dev after joining TMC
By PTI
NEW DELHI: Former Congress leader Sushmita Dev on Tuesday said her joining the Trinamool Congress is “unconditional” and she will take any responsibility given to her by party president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Dev, who was the chief of the women’s wing of the Congress, joined the TMC in the presence of senior party leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O’Brien in Kolkata on Monday.
“I don’t think I have compromised my ideology in joining the TMC. My joining the TMC is unconditional and I will take any responsibility given to me by Mamata Banerjee,” Dev told reporters here.
A former MP, Dev was the national spokesperson of the grand old party and the chief of the All India Mahila Congress.
She sent her resignation letter to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, sources said, but offered no reason for her quitting.
“In my 30 years in politics, I haven’t demanded anything from the Congress high command,” Dev said.
Dev, who sidestepped any question regarding her reasons behind quitting the Congress, said it is wrong to compare Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee and “dig up dirt” on the former.
ALSO READ | Mamata Banerjee has excellent vision for TMC’s future; hope to be helpful, says Sushmita Dev
“We don’t know what the future holds. You will see what magic unfolds when both (Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee) come together,” she said.
“I have a long relationship with the Congress and I have written everything about that in my resignation letter. I got many opportunities in Congress and I tried to do justice to all the responsibilities. Many people tried to call me, but I was not available. On August 15, I gave the Congress president my resignation,” she said.
Showering praises on Mamata Banerjee, Dev said, “I am coming to the TMC office for the first time.
Mamata Di (Mamata Banerjee) is my idol, and thanks to her for accepting me into the party.
“Under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership, I will make her vision more powerful. Mamata Di’s work in Bengal is inspiring. Several schemes of the Bengal government are praiseworthy and the fighting spirit of Mamata Banerjee is known to everyone. My relationship with Mamata Banerjee is not just political, we have family ties,” she said.
While neither Dev nor TMC MP and national spokesperson Derek O’Brien sitting beside her through the briefing described what her role would be in the party, sources indicate that she will be given “big responsibilities” in Assam and Tripura where the TMC is spreading its wings.
Sources said Dev was unhappy with the Congress high command over a few issues, including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which she had supported going against the party’s stance.
Dev, who won the Silchar seat in Assam in 2014, lost in 2019.
Silchar, a Bengali-dominated area is in favour of the CAA and after its enactment in 2019, but the stand of the Congress against it virtually sealed her fate.
Sources also indicated that Dev was upset with the handling of the CAA issue in her region by the Congress.
“Sushmita Dev has never spoken against the Constitution or human rights,” she said when asked about CAA.
O’Brien, who was asked if the TMC is breaking/poaching from the Congress said the party does not believe in such tactics.
“If there are talented people who share a similar vision and they reach out to us, we welcome them,” he said.
On the future strategy for Assam, the party leaders said, “Plan for Assam, Tripura or rest of the states will be revealed in September.”
Commenting on the impact of Dev joining the TMC on the opposition unity, the Rajya Sabha MP said on August 20, Sonia Gandhi has called a meeting and “reconfirmed” that Mamata Banerjee will be in attendance.
“In parliament, you have seen opposition working together. Every one among them has a different relationship but our goal is the same,” he said.
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No bypoll? Mamata Banerjee has a workaround, says Trinamool
Express News Service
KOLKATA: Amid allegations that the entire Uttarakhand drama was directed at denying West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee an opportunity of getting elected in a bypoll citing the ongoing pandemic, the Trinamool on Sunday appeared unfazed.“If the bypoll is not conducted, she will resign two days before the stipulated time of six months ends and take oath as chief minister again after two days,” said party MP and spokesperson Saugata Roy. Mamata narrowly lost in Nandigram, which is why she has to get elected to the Assembly within six months of assuming office.
That deadline ends on November 5. Another option is the revival of the state Legislative Council, which was decided during her first cabinet meet after being sworn in as CM for the third time. She could take that route like Uddhav Thackeray did in Maharashtra without fighting a by-election. But there is a catch. ‘’The proposal to revive the Vidhan Parishad has to be approved by Parliament.
Since BJP has majority in Parliament, we will wait for approval. Bengal had a Legislative Council since Independence, so there should not be any issue in its revival,’’ said Roy. The Upper House was abolished in Bengal after the United Front government came to power in 1969.
In Uttarakhand, when Tirath Singh Rawat resigned as chief minister saying by-elections could not be held within six months of his taking oath of office due to the Covid pandemic, the Congress alleged that the real aim was to stop Mamata from getting elected as an MLA and compel her to step down.
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TMC declines turncoat MP Sunil Mondal’s feelers, says party has already moved for his disqualification
By PTI
KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress Wednesday virtually ruled out the possibility of reinducting turncoat TMC MP Sunil Mondal, who had switched over to the BJP last year, and said the party has already moved for annunlment of his membership under the anti-defection law.Mondal, who joined the BJP in December last year along with Suvendu Adhikari, said on Tuesday that he was not “feeling comfortable” in his new party as promises made to him were not kept, triggering speculations about his future political move.
Senior TMC leader and spokesperson Sougata Roy said such comments wouldn’t yield results as the party has already moved representation to end his membership.
“Such comments won’t yield any results. Before assembly polls, despite being a two-time TMC MP and three years of his tenure left, he switched over to the BJP. He never had any problem or grievances with the party.
“We spoke to him and tried to reason out with him. But he was then adamant about leaving the party and joining the saffron camp,” Roy said.
“He joined hands with Suvendu Adhikari. Now such comments that he is feeling uncomfortable won’t yield any results,” he said.
Mondal on Tuesday said that though he had made every effort to ensure BJP’s victory in the district, there was a trust deficit within the party on those who had switched over from the TMC.
“BJP doesn’t believe those who joined from TMC. Even my belief about the organisational strength of the BJP has been belied. I am not feeling comfortable here,” he said.
Mondal joined the BJP along with Suvendu Adhikari at a rally of Home Minister Amit Shah in Medinipur in December last year.
“Suvendu did not keep his promise of working together. He did not keep in touch with me. I don’t have any contact with him now,” he claimed.
With these comments, Mondal joined a long list of leaders who switched over to the BJP ahead of the assembly elections and started sending feelers to their former party TMC after the poll results were declared.
BJP’s national vice-president Mukul Roy went back to the TMC a few days ago.
Following his homecoming, many other TMC defectors to the saffron party seeing the overwhyelming victory of the Mamata Banerjee’s party in the state polls are working for similar return to the parent party.
The TMC has recently moved Lok Sabha seeking disqualification of Sisir Adhikari and Sunil Mondal, who were elected MPs on TMC ticket but joined the BJP just ahead of the assembly polls.
While Sisir Adhikari had won from Kanthi Lok Sabha seat in Bengal, Mondal was re-elected from Bardhaman Purba Parliamentary constituency.
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One-third BJP MLAs skip meeting with West Bengal Governor
By Express News Service
KOLKATA: At least 23 BJP MLAs out of 74, who were supposed to accompany Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, to Raj Bhavan on Monday, did not turn up. Among the absent legislators, many of them are known for their close proximity to Mukul Roy, BJP’s national vice-president who joined the TMC on Monday.Adhikari had asked all the MLAs to accompany him in Monday’s event at Raj Bhavan. “I’ve come here with 50 MLAs to hold a meeting with the governor. I gave him a memorandum regarding post-poll violence in the state and other issues,’’ said Adhikari after the meeting.
Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said Adhikari had handed over the memorandum attracting his attention towards four points which include anti-defection law, post-poll violence and communal tension at two places.
Taking a jibe at the absence of BJP MLAs in the governor’s house, TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said, ‘’Where the other MLAs have gone? Why didn’t they accompany the Leader of Opposition?’’
Sources in the BJP said all the newly elected MLAs were asked to be present with Adhikari. “They were supposed to accompany him. But it was shocking that nearly one-third of our MLAs did not bother to follow the instruction,’’ said a senior BJP leader.
A section of the MLAs, who were not present in Raj Bhavan, already issued statements indirectly supporting Roy’s return to the TMC. They said the senior politician was sidelined in the BJP and he was not given the proper space in the party which led to his return to the ruling party.
MLAs like Biswajit Das from Bagdah, Sabyasachi Dutta from Rajarhat-New Town, Rabindranath Bhattacharya from Singur and Sunil Singh from Noapara were missing in the rows of the MLAs in Raj Bhavan. All these people are known for their close proximity to Roy. The saffron camp is fearing that many of the absent MLAs may follow Roy’s foot-print in near future.
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Return of turncoats sparks uneasiness in Trinamool Congress also
Express News Service
KOLKATA: Mukul Roy’s ghar wapsi has sparked concerns not only in the BJP but also in West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress. The worry in the BJP camp is over the possibility of more Trinamool Congress turncoats in the party following Roy’s footsteps.Meanwhile, the return of Roy and the possibility of others following him have caused unease among a section of TMC workers who are opposed to the induction of “traitors” who attacked the party while campaigning for the recent Assembly elections.
Concerns have mounted after former Trinamool Congress minister Rajib Banerjee, who is now in the saffron camp, held talks with TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Saturday. “Now he (Rajib) is criticising BJP for its divisive politics. But before the election, he organised a rally comprising Hindu hardliners and used the Election Commission against TMC workers in Domjur. He visited Kunal’s house but it doesn’t mean that he washed all his sins by taking a holy dip in the Ganges,” said Serampore Kalyan Banerjee, a TMC MP. Rajib contested from Domjur constituency for the BJP, but failed to win.
There is also strong buzz that former TMC MLA Sabyasachi Dutta, who joined the BJP, is set to follow his mentor Roy into the party. It was Roy, who is known for his ability to poach functionaries from rival camps, who brought Dutta to the saffron party.
Some in the TMC have already raised their voice against Dutta’s possible induction. TMC minister Sujit Bose is one of them. “The party will take the decision. But if the leadership wants to know my opinion, I will let them know my stance on his return,” said Dutta.
Even when Dutta was in the TMC, a rift between him and Bose had surfaced on many occasions. While campaigning for the election, Dutta had aggressively attacked Bose. Not just Dutta and Rajib, at least eight MLAs and an MP from north Bengal are expected to jump ship to the Trinamool Conrgess as an after-effect of Roy’s return to his old battle-pitch.