In an apparent heads on with the BJP led Modi regime, TMC supremo and chief West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday has once again fielded Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the current Lok Sabha, from Krishnanagar.
The move by TMC is seen as a challenge to the BJP which has been trying to flex in West Bengal post the Sandeshkhali episode. Mamta however dropped the sitting MP from Sandeshkhali.
Moitra, who was embroiled in a cash-for-questions scandal, has been supported by Trinamool despite initial reservations and a open front opened in and out of the Parliament as well as social media platforms by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
Mahua is facing multiple investigations led by Enforcement Directorate and CBI in the cash for query matter. In the CBI probe she has sent her response to the questionnaire.
“The CBI is examining the response after which it will send a report to anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal which had referred the matter to the agency,” they said. The agency is conducting a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against Ms. Moitra on the reference from the Lokpal.
Moitra has denied any wrongdoing and claimed she was being targeted as she had raised questions on the deals of an industrialist.
Days after Mahua was disqualified by the Parliament Ethics Committee last year, Mamata has termed the expulsion “unacceptable” and hinted that the TMC will field Mahua Moitra in the next Lok Sabha polls from Krishnanagar. “No reason why Mahua will not be given a ticket in the next elections. Party has already made her district president (of Krishnanagar organisational district),” Banerjee said amidst the Winter Session when asked whether Moitra will be given ticket in 2024 to contest from Krishnanagar. The Trinamool Congress has dropped MP Nussrat Jahan from contesting the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat amid the Sandeshkhali row. The party has fielded Nurul Islam in place of Nusrat.
Nusrat was largely absent in terms of her engagements within the organisation while her Parliamentary attendance was below average. She was missing in the special session of Parliament, which was called to pass the women’s reservation bill, something the TMC tried to own up by saying they have always walked the talk by giving maximum tickets to female candidates.
BJP has gone full throttle improve upon its present tally of 16 Lok Sabha seats and post the Sandeshkhali incident party workers have camped in the State and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held two big rallies including one where he met the victims of Sandeshkhali.
TMC announced all 42 candidates which also indicated no truck with the Congress led Opposition bloc INDIA. Reacting to the TMC announcing its candidates on all 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, Congress chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh said, “The Indian National Congress has always maintained that it wants a respectable seat-sharing formula with the TMC in West Bengal. It means mutual negotiations, give and take, some compromise.”
