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BJP names 148 nominees for last 4 phases of Bengal polls, Mukul Roy to contest
Soon after the announcement, protests erupted in multiple constituencies including Jagaddal, Malda, Durgapur and Jalpaiguri. In Malda and Jalpaiguri, BJP workers ransacked party offices and in North 24 Parganas posters of BJP MPs were torn and set on fire on the road.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced the names of 148 candidates for the last four phases of the West Bengal assembly polls that begin from March 27.
The party fielded its vice president Mukul Roy from Krishnanagar Uttar. Roy will be contesting the assembly polls after two decades. The last time he had contested the polls was in 2001 in which he lost. A former confidante of TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and an ex-TMC MP, Roy had joined the BJP in 2017.
The list included 19 women candidates and names of people from various fields including actors, folk singers, scholars and footballers. Also names of senior BJP leaders such as Rahul Sinha and Samik Bhattacharya and party’s sitting MPs and MLAs were included.
The party fielded Jitendra Tiwari from Pandabeshwar. Tiwari, a former TMC legislator had rebelled against the party but made a U-turn in December last year, before finally joining the BJP earlier this month.
From Hemtabad the party fielded Chandima Roy, wife of former BJP MLA Debendranath Roy, who was found dead. Even though the BJP had alleged that Roy was murdered by the TMC, police later said he had died by suicide.
Soon after the announcement, protests erupted in multiple constituencies including Jagaddal, Malda, Durgapur and Jalpaiguri. While in Malda and Jalpaiguri BJP workers ransacked party offices, in North 24 Parganas posters of BJP MPs were torn and set on fire on the road.
Earlier this week too, the party had to face backlash from a section of leaders and workers after some TMC leaders, who recently joined the BJP, were given tickets. State BJP leaders had to face tough questions from central leaders including Amit Shah and JP Nadda.
In a major embarrassment for the BJP, Sikha Mitra whose name was announced as a candidate from Chowringhee refused to contest the polls.
“I told them (BJP) that I am not going to contest the elections. They didn’t even consult me and suddenly announced my name. This is very bad and not done,” Mitra, wife of former West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra, told the media.
The TMC took the opportunity to hit back saying that the BJP lacks leaders and hence is giving tickets to any person without taking their consent.
“This shows that the BJP is giving tickets to anyone and preference is being given to people coming from other parties. They lack enough candidates. The TMC had announced all the candidates in one go. BJP is doing it in phases. It is because they are just waiting to see if any other leader from any other party is joining the BJP,” said Debanhsgu Bhattacharya, TMC spokesperson.
Another candidate Tarun Saha, fielded from Belgachia – Kashipur also refused to contest the polls saying that he had already informed the BJP.
“The party will definitely look into this. We also need to speak to the BJP leader who was assigned to talk to Mitra and Saha and let the party know. The party will take necessary steps,” said Rahul Sinha, a senior BJP leader.
Actress Parno Mitra was given a ticket from Baranagar, while actor Rudranil Ghosh was fielded from Bhawanipore constituency, the former assembly constituency of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“The BJP is facing backlash. Even though it is a regimented party, in Bengal it is not so. The party gave tickets to anyone who came from TMC. As a result protests erupted,” said Amal Mukhopadhyay, political commentator and ex-principal of former Presidency College.
