Days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Priyanka Tibrewal filed her nomination for the by-election to the Bhabanipur assembly seat in West Bengal, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday that there is ‘clear support’ for the party in the area. The by-elections in Bhabanipur is scheduled on September 30.
Puri, who is on a visit to West Bengal, tweeted on Wednesday that he interacted with the residents of Mohan Dutta Road in the Ray Street area of Bhabanipur where they shared their issues and concerns.
"But there is clear support for the BJP candidate Priyanka Tibrewal," Puri said. The Union minister added that there is disillusionment among people about the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the constituency, and predicted this will be reflected in the by-election results if people vote freely.
In Bhabanipur, the BJP has fielded Priyanka Tibrewal against chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. The TMC had won the constituency in the assembly elections held earlier this year.
A lawyer by profession, Priyanka Tibrewal had represented the BJP in the Calcutta high court (HC) regarding the alleged post-poll violence in the state.
Upon filing her nomination on September 13, she described her battle against Mamata Banerjee as a fight against injustice. “This is a fight for justice, for the people of West Bengal. I would like to tell the people of Bhabanipur that they've received a big opportunity, they should come forward and make history,” Tibrewal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
{{/usCountry}}Upon filing her nomination on September 13, she described her battle against Mamata Banerjee as a fight against injustice. “This is a fight for justice, for the people of West Bengal. I would like to tell the people of Bhabanipur that they've received a big opportunity, they should come forward and make history,” Tibrewal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
{{/usCountry}}On Tuesday, the BJP leader entered into a squabble with police as she was denied door-to-door campaigning by security forces. “The police stopped me from interacting with voters. I will move the Election Commission soon against this conduct of the police,” Tibrewal said and also requested the election panel to not keep the officer-in-charge of the Bhabanipur police station on the day of the by-election.
The police, meanwhile, said on Tuesday that Tibrewal was not told to be accompanied by a large number of people due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, but “she kept on arguing with the personnel.”