Trinamool Congressional Director Mamata Banerjee published a star-studded list of candidates for 291 seats in the assembly on Friday, while announcing she would be contesting Nandigram’s upcoming West Bengal elections in East Midnapore.
Shortly after the announcement, protests broke out and sympathizers blocked roads as the names of at least 27 acting MLAs were removed to include new faces, including movie stars and athletes. Some joined the party earlier this week.
“I was always there with Mamata Banerjee. And this is what I get? My name was removed because I am diabetic. She could have told me at least. May good sense prevail in her, ”said Sonali Guha, a four-time legislator and once considered Banerjee’s alter ego.
In Bhangar in southern 24 Parganas and Amdanga in northern 24 Parganas, TMC supporters blocked roads after the names of members of the justice assemblies, Arabul Islam and Rafiqur Rahaman, were removed. They also ransacked a TMC office in Bhangar.
“The workers at my booth are crying. I will do what the people of Bhangar tell me, ”said Islam, a strong man from TMC, as he broke down in tears.
The TMC chief, who perhaps feared such a backlash, said her party would include the lawmakers, whose names have been removed, in a legislative council that would be established if the TMC forms the government for the third time.
“Several existing MLAs, ministers and party leaders could not be given tickets. We had to come up with a mix of old and young. Also, the names of people who are over 80 years old have been removed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Some MLAs are sick. We would try to include all of these names on the state legislative council, ”Banerjee said, justifying why the names were removed.
The list of names removed also includes Amit Mitra, the state finance minister, Purnendu Basu, the state technical education minister, and Manish Gupta, the former state energy minister. Instead, at least three councilors from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation received tickets.
Among the new faces that were inducted were several actors, directors, singers, doctors and even athletes. The prominent names include Raj Chakraborty, film director, Sayantika Banerjee, actress, Koushani Mukherjee, actress, and June Malia, actress. While some joined TMC earlier this year, some others like Sayantika Banerjee joined a few days ago.
“It is a very challenging task. I know the lanes and bylanes of Barrackpore from where I am racing. I also know people’s problems. I urge people not to see me as a director or film personality, but as a Mamata Banerjee soldier, ”said Chakraborty.
Dismissing the public perception that the BJP is breathing down his neck, Mamata Banerjee said: “This is a soft choice, a smiling choice. We will play, we will fight and we will win. “
While Mamata Banerjee declared that she would compete from Nandigram, a party veteran and state energy minister, Sovandeb Chatterjee, would compete from Bhawanipore in southern Kolkata. Banerjee is the seated MLA of Bhawanipore, which is her home turf.
The BJP mocked the prime minister saying that the CM has felt the concern and thus abandoned its traditional Bhawanipore seat.
“If the current chief minister is not sure of winning her traditional seat, it is because she has sensed strong opposition to the charges on the ground. This is just the beginning. Pishi (aunt) will soon see Maa, Maati and Manush slip out of her hands. Bengal will finally see ashol poriborton (real transformation), ”tweeted Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell chief.
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