Mamata accuses BJP leaders of bombing their own houses; says TMC 'not a party of goons'

On the Bhabanipur campaign trail, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused BJP of making false allegations against the ruling party in the state on Friday. Contending that BJP leaders are bombing their own houses and then claiming to be attacked, she opined, "Who will attack you? We feel embarrassed by even touching you. TMC is not a party of goons". This comes in the context of the NIA taking over the probe into the bomb attack outside BJP MP Arjun Singh's house in Bhatpatra on September 8. Singh alleged that TMC was instrumental in this attack as he was named BJP's observer for the Bhabanipur by-election.

Addressing a gathering, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said, "I heard a worker of BJP had died months after the elections. Such deaths are always unfortunate. They came with the body near my house. Several people were killed in Assam over NRC. Don't you have any shame? There is no law in BJP's rule. BJP is insanely violent, cruel and murderous. They are doing hooliganism every day."

On this occasion, she also questioned the Centre on why no CBI or ED case has been filed against anyone from CPI(M) in contrast to TMC leaders who are facing a plethora of cases. She stated, "Our party, which fights with such bravery, is not being spared". While Congress decided not to field a candidate against the WB CM, CPI(M)'s Srijib Biswas is also in the poll fray.

The battle for Bhabanipur

Accepting TMC turncoat Suvendu Adhikari's challenge to fight from Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly polls, two-time Bhabanipur MLA Mamata Banerjee lost by a narrow margin of fewer than 2000 votes. While she moved the Calcutta HC against Adhikari's victory in Nandigram, the TMC supremo has to get elected within a period of 6 months i.e by November 4 to continue as the Chief Minister. At present, only Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra are the two non-MLAs in the WB Council of Ministers. 

Soon after the election, WB Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay resigned as the Bhabanipur MLA paving way for Banerjee to contest from there. Taking into account the state Chief Secretary's assurance that the COVID-19 situation is under control, the Election Commission of India declared that by-elections to Bhabanipur, Samserganj and Jangipur will be conducted on September 30. The counting of votes is scheduled for October 3.

Banerjee's BJP opponent Priyanka Tibrewal, who unsuccessfully contested the West Bengal Assembly polls from Entally, is also a practicing advocate in the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court. She was also one of the petitioners who moved the Calcutta HC over the post-poll violence in the state. Ultimately, a 5-judge Constitution bench directed that all cases of murder and crimes against women including rape pertaining to the post-poll violence will be transferred to the CBI. Moreover, it entrusted all other cases referred by the NHRC to an SIT comprising IPS officers Suman Bala Sahoo, Soumen Mitra, and Ranbir Kumar.