KOLKATA: The BJP’s Bengal unit has decided to oppose Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demand to hold early Assembly bypolls in the state. Even though the saffron camp cited the pandemic situation for objecting to bypolls, its intension seems to be an attempt to prevent Mamata from becoming an MLA within six months of her swearing-in as the CM.
The BJP is aiming at Mamata’s resignation, forcing her to choose someone else from the TMC, who has won Assembly elections, as the chief minister of Bengal. Mamata, who lost in Nandigram to BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, recently said the Election Commission should conduct bypolls in seven Assembly seats as early as early as possible and at once. Ironically, it was only the BJP that had opposed Mamata’s demand for clubbing of last three phases of the recently held Assembly elections even as the country was grappling with the second wave of pandemic.
Meanwhile, many BJP functionaries felt that opposing bypolls may trigger a negative reaction from people while some others said creating hindrances in the way to Mamata’s election to the Assembly would pile pressure on her. “The party has decided to use Covid pandemic as the same tool that Mamata had used when she demanded clubbing of last three phases. During the Assembly elections, she expressed concern over risking people’s life and now our leaders are citing the same. But our top-rung leaders addressed rallies when the second wave of pandemic hit the country. The decision to oppose bypolls may draw negative reaction,” said a senior BJP leader in the state.
BJP’s general secretary Sayantan Basu said Mamata was ready to risk the lives of the people of Bengal by demanding bypolls at a time when the threat of third wave was approaching. “There is no need for by-elections now. She has to quit. She will be no longer the CM. We will oppose her demand for holding by-elections as early as possible,” said Basu. Mamata has decided to contest from her old turf Bhowanipore. Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who got elected from Bhowanipore, already resigned and is likely to contest from Khardah, North 24 Parganas, as the TMC’s eleted MLA died of Covid-19.