Post injury, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to kickstart campaign from Mahua seat
Times of India | 27 March 2024
KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee, who is recuperating from a head injury, will hit the 2024 LS campaign trail on Sunday from Krishnanagar, where Trinamool has fielded Mahua Moitra as its candidate. On the same day, TMC is expected to send senior leaders to Delhi to be part of INDIA bloc's protests against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest. Trinamool has questioned EC on Kejriwal's arrest and raids at Moitra's home and poll offices after the model code of conduct kicked in.
On the same day, TMC is expected to send senior leaders to Delhi to be part of the INDIA bloc's protests against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's arrest by ED. Trinamool has questioned the Election Commission on Kejriwal's arrest and the subsequent raids at Moitra's home and poll offices after the Model Code of Conduct kicked in.
Banerjee suffered a deep gash on her forehead after falling at her Kalighat home on March 14, which required five stitches on her head and nose. Banerjee will address a public rally - the first after the injury - at Krishnanagar Club Ground at 12 pm on Sunday. According to sources at SSKM Hospital, the CM was recuperating well. Doctors said she should be fine to hit the campaign trail in the next few days.
Banerjee choosing Moitra's Krishnanagar LS seat to start her campaign comes in the backdrop of CBI raids at the former MP's home, party offices and MP office in Krishnanagar on Saturday. It had prompted Moitra to write to EC that the CBI raids were an attempt to throttle her campaigning during the MCC period and urged the poll body to ask central agencies, including CBI, not to take coercive steps against candidates and political leaders (involved in polls) and issue them probe guidelines to ensure a level playing field.
Meanwhile, BJP's Krishnanagar candidate Amrita Roy did not deny reports that she received a call from PM Narendra Modi after her name was announced by BJP on Sunday. "I cannot speak on this (her talk with the PM)," she said. On Sunday, BJP announced that Roy, the Krishnanagar royal descendant, will take on Moitra in Krishnanagar. Amrita's husband Shoumish Roy is the ninth descendant of Raja Krishnachandra Roy and she is referred to locally as "Rani Ma".
TMC, however, did not read much into it. State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said: "There is nothing called Rajmata now but the style of 'jamidari' still exists. This might be the reason why the 'Rajmata' was made a candidate."
Roy chose not to comment on the barbs. "These do not merit any response," she said, adding, "The CM is the head of her party and it is expected she will campaign everywhere, including Krishnanagar."