KOLKATA: He claims to be a magician far greater than PC Sorcar. Ruling Trinamool Congress Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal boasts he could ‘vanish all voters’ on Sunday when Bengal goes to polls in the second phase.
In an exclusive interview with Express, he asked, “Have you ever watched PC Sorcar’s magic?” and went on to claim, “thousands of people sit wide-eyed when he does his vanishing act in seconds. None can catch the magician. On Sunday, during polls, I will also vanish all! None will be able to catch me.”
Elaborating, he said same used to happen during the CPI(M) regime. “People used to be killed... they were vanished. I will apply the same tactics here to win 11 out of 11 Assembly seats in this district.” Anubrata has COPD (which makes breathing difficult) and always carries an oxygen cylinder in his vehicle. But he rules the roost in Birbhum, once a Left stronghold. During the 2011 polls, TMC won seven seats, the Congress two and the Left two.
Sporting eight rings with gems on his fingers (upon astrological advice), Anubrata is tense as he keeps chewing betel leaves with Rajnigandha zarda (powdered tobacco). “I will give this up once the polls are over. I used to smoke five packs of cigarettes earlier but quit. Never drank alcohol,” he mused.
Though tense, after the Election Commission’s directive against him, he sounds defiant. “Which commission? Who are they? I love to entertain people and there will be no lapses on Sunday when polls will take place. There is a special sweet – Goor Batasha (jaggery sweet). It’s my favourite. Hope you know its colour. It’s blackish red. Hope you can identify the colour?” asked Anubrata, who is popularly known as Keshto.
Keshto hails from a traditional Congress family and his father Kripashindhu was a veteran Congressmen. “Congress is in my blood but I decided to be with Didi as I had been with her since her days as a Youth Congress president. But when she formed TMC I shifted,” he explained. Without mincing words, he recalled, “I failed in matriculation but had beaten my teacher. I used to play soccer and was a goalkeeper. So, I know how to protect the goalpost and I will do so for Didi.”
Keshto has a huge security arrangement with six armed policemen with SLRs protecting him. There is no threat from the CPI(M) which he has ‘vanquished’ or rather ‘vanished’ but there are factional feuds within TMC. “Kajol Sheikh is a dacoit. He is Sheikh Shahnaz, TMC MLA from Burdwan’s brother. And hence, tries to use his influence. Shatabdi? (Shatabdi Roy, Lok Sabha TMC MP from Birbhum) Who is she? Extremely ungrateful. The other one whom I got elected never comes for party work. I alone am protecting the fortress,” claimed Keshto.
Before signing off, he revealed that the blackish red ‘batasha’ are stocked for security forces too. “On Saturday night, all who are not ‘Trinamool’ will be removed from Birbhum.”
EC Orders 24x7 Watch on Anubrata
The Election Commission on Friday issued instructions to keep controversial TMC leader Anubrata Mondal under 24x7 surveillance of the Central police force. Officials said the Commission has directed West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta to keep his activities under constant watch during poll period.
‘Never Touched a CPM Worker in Life’
Though issuing threats, Anubrata Mondal, in the same breath, claims he had never touched a CPI(M) worker in his life. “Didi did scold me for such utterances. In fact, at a personal level, I have met Somnathbabu (Somnath Chatterjee, former Lok Sabha Speaker) several times. I respect him and he too likes me,” claims Keshto. However, on a defiant note, he repeats he will ‘vanish’ all the opposition voters in Birbhum on Sunday.
Though issuing threats, Anubrata Mondal, in the same breath, claims he had never touched a CPI(M) worker in his life. “Didi did scold me for such utterances. In fact, at a personal level, I have met Somnathbabu (Somnath Chatterjee, former Lok Sabha Speaker) several times. I respect him and he too likes me,” claims Keshto. However, on a defiant note, he repeats he will ‘vanish’ all the opposition voters in Birbhum on Sunday.
