Category: West Bengal

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India News West Bengal

Saffron party set to give tough time to TMC in Assembly

The BJP legislative party has already nominated TMC turncoat, who defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram battle — Suvendu Adhikari as the Leader of the Opposition…reports Asian Lite News

BJP boycotted the Speaker election in the West Bengal Assembly protesting against post-poll violence in the state and that is indicative enough that the saffron party will not leave grounds to the Trinamool Congress though the ruling party captured over two-third majority in the recently concluded assembly polls.

“We are going to play the role of a constructive opposition. We are with the ruling party so far as any development program or any initiative that will benefit the people but we will protest strongly if we see that Trinamool Congress is trying to cause hindrance to the people.

“We have already played the role of a cooperative opposition so far as the state’s effort to control coronavirus and vaccination is concerned but we cannot accept hooliganism of the ruling party after the announcement of the election results,” a senior BJP leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

Though the BJP legislative party is yet to develop a comprehensive plan of action for the upcoming Assembly Sessions, its state high command has already instructed the 75 MLAs to go back to their constituencies and reach out to the people.

ALSO READ: Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

When asked how they would like to fare in the coming sessions in the assembly, another senior BJP leader said, “It is very difficult to say right now. We will decide once and when things occur. This is for the first time we are playing the role of the main opposition and we don’t want to send a wrong signal to the people”.

BJP is primarily worried on two accounts — the erosion of votes particularly among the upper and lower caste Hindus and the absence of an acceptable face who will be able to counter Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

State BJP President Dilip Ghosh has already told the national leaders present in the state to go back and assured that the state BJP unit is capable of handling the ground situation better making it clear that the national BJP leaders did not have an acceptance among the voters.

The BJP legislative party has already nominated TMC turncoat, who defeated Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram battle — Suvendu Adhikari as the Leader of the Opposition.

It goes without saying that an avid speaker Adhikari will put a stiff resistance both to Mamata Banerjee and the party in general inside the assembly. BJP will definitely try to reap the benefits of it.

ALSO READ: Disquiet in BJP big concern for party in Bengal

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India News West Bengal

Didi’s agenda for first 100 days

Party insiders indicate that the Mamata Banerjee government is likely to re-introduce and establish a Second Chamber in the State Legislature or the Legislative Council…Reports Asian Lite News

After securing a thumping majority in the recently concluded elections Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had made it clear that vaccination and controlling the spread of Coronavirus will be her government’s priority and she has already initiated some formidable steps to restrict the unchecked spread of the pandemic.

Besides controlling the disease — as party insiders indicate — the chief minister is likely to carry forward the promises made in the manifesto in three different stages — short-term, middle-term and long-term plans.

Covid vaccination and controlling the spread of SARS-COV2 virus will be the priority of the state government –this was already announced on the day of her oath taking ceremony on May 5.

“She has already taken some steps like suspending the movement of the local trains, closure of bars, restaurants, gyms, cinema halls and shopping malls and restricting the number of people to 50 in any kind of religious and entertainment functions.

“The state government is also thinking of completing the vaccination of all the people of the state in the next six months,” a senior government official said.

“However, to complete the mass vaccination drive the state government needs active cooperation of the central government and she has written to the Prime Minister in this regard,” the official added.

Party insiders indicate that the Mamata Banerjee government is likely to re-introduce and establish a Second Chamber in the State Legislature or the Legislative Council, which will comprise eminent persons, who will play an active role in shaping the State’s functions.

ALSO READ:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

The State Legislative Council, or Vidhan Parishad, is the Upper House and the Lower House being the State Legislative Assembly or the Vidhan Sabha.

The state is likely to pass a resolution in the State Assembly after which it will be the constitutional mandate and obligation of the Parliament to complete the formality by passing a law to that effect.

Seven states, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh and Telengana have state legislative council.

It is not a secret now that the Trinamool Congress came to power riding on the successful execution of the government delivery systems like ‘Duare Sarkar’ – government at your doorstep and “Parai Parai Samadhan’ – solution in your neighbourhood.

If the former is a mechanism to deliver the benefits of the government projects at the doorstep, then the latter is a process to mitigate public grievance through offering a solution at the local level.

ALSO READ: Cong leaders praise Mamata, ignoring defeat

Though it was a brainchild of the poll strategist Prashant Kishore hired by the Trinamool, Mamata Banerjee wants to continue with the projects so that it doesn’t seem to be a poll stunt.

The Trinamool Congress government is likely to bring back the projects with government camps twice a year likely to be conducted August-September and December-January.

Chief Minister Banerjee is well aware that a huge support of the women voters have enabled her to come to power and so the state government is likely to strengthen the social security net keeping the women in mind.

“The State’s monthly average Consumption Expenditure of a household is Rs 5,249. Providing a monthly income support of Rs 500 (yearly Rs 6,000) to General Category households and Rs 1,000 (yearly Rs 12,000) to SC/ST Category households, would account for 10 per cent and 20 per cent of their monthly expenditure, respectively.

This amount would be directly deposited into bank accounts of 1.6 crore matriarchs of each family in West Bengal. It would include every household from the SC/ST community. For General Category, this income support would be provided to all households except those having at least one tax-paying member (42.30 lakh people) and those owning land more than 2 hectare (2.8 lakh people).

The budget outlay for the scheme would be approximately Rs 12,900 crore every year,” a senior party leader said.

ALSO READ: Mamata accuses EC of directly helping BJP

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Mamata accuses EC of directly helping BJP

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

She also alleged that unable to accept the mandate of the people, the saffron brigade was inciting violence in the state….reports Asian Lite News

Speaking on the first day of the Assembly after returning to power for the third time in a row, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday stroked a major controversy by accusing the Election Commission of India of directly helping the BJP during the recently-concluded Assembly polls in the state, in which the Trinamool Congress cruised to a landslide victory.

She also alleged that unable to accept the mandate of the people, the saffron brigade was inciting violence in the state.

“I can challenge that had the Election Commission not helped them (BJP) directly, they would not have won even 30 seats. In this election, rigging took place in some places under the watch of the poll panel. There should be electoral reforms made immediately, else the democratic fabric of the country will be jeopardised,” Banerjee said during her speech on the floor of the Assembly, where Biman Banerjee was elected the Speaker for the third straight terms.

West Bengal polls (Twitter)

Warning stern action against the BJP for ‘inciting’ violence in the state, the Chief Minister said, “For the last six months, they have not done anything but pushing the country to the brink of destruction. They had only one target and that was to capture Bengal and now they (BJP) cannot accept the mandate of the common man. So they are trying to incite violence in the state and are posting fake videos.”

The Chief Minister also directed the administration to take stern action against anyone trying to fan communal tension in the state.

Also read:Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

“Do not compromise, take stern action against people talking on communal lines as per the law, be it me or anyone else,” she said.

Banerjee also attacked the Centre and said that in the last six months, it did no work and only tried to capture Bengal and travelled to the state every day, thus pushing the country to the threshold of a health crisis.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah

“To set up a double-engine, they pushed India to the threshold of Covid-19 destruction. In the last six months, the Central government did no work, but came to Bengal everyday to capture it,” she said, adding that the central forces are roaming around in the state without undergoing any RT-PCR tests, thus spreading the infection.

A host of Union ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, besides the party’s top leadership, were seen canvassing in West Bengal in the run-up to the high-octane Assembly elections.

Banerjee also reiterated the demand for universal vaccination, stating that it should have been the priority of the Centre, but instead the government is spending Rs 50,000 crore on the new Parliament building, PM’s residence and statues, among other things.

The opposition BJP legislators boycotted the House proceedings protesting against the killing of their party workers in the post-poll violence in the state.

Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

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India News West Bengal

Disquiet in BJP big concern for party in Bengal

Tathagata Roy

Hitting out at the two leaders, Roy said their poor decisions, especially in selection of candidates, were responsible for BJP’s poll debacle in Bengal….reports Asian Lite News

Rumours doing the rounds inside BJP circles that many of its 77 MLAs and 18 MPs in West Bengal are reportedly in touch with the Trinamool Congress leadership, looking for ways to defect, are creating a strong sense of disquiet within the party, which many feel may be hard to negotiate.

Moreover, a sense of discontent among some party hardliners in accepting the newcomers in the saffron camp, especially after the BJP’s way below par show in the recently concluded Assembly elections, is only adding fuel to such speculation.

The buzz grew stronger when BJP’s Krishnanagar North MLA and national vice-president Mukul Roy decided to stay away from the first meeting of the BJP’s legislative body in the Assembly on Friday, where it was decided that the party would boycott the Assembly proceedings until post-poll violence stops completely in the state.

Tathagata Roy

Though state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh maintained that “Mukul-da had to rush back to Krishnanagar, as cases of violence against our workers were reported from there”, some party insiders believe that it was an effort on Roy’s part to distance himself from the party proceedings following his decreasing importance in the BJP with regard to forming poll strategy during the just-concluded Assembly polls in the state.

Roy, who won his first election this time after switching over to the BJP from the Trinamool in 2017 when he was unofficially the No 2 in the party after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was instrumental in BJP’s success in the 2018 panchayat polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

“Mukul-da isn’t happy with the party. He had been issuing vital warnings, identifying crucial inflection points, but his advice has been overlooked,” a senior party leader said.

However, former Meghalaya and Tripura Governor and senior Bengal BJP leader Tathagata Roy, who is always considered to be a hardliner in the party, didn’t sound quite surprised and rather blamed state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and the party’s state in-charge Kailash Vijayvargiya for the party’s defeat in the Assembly elections.

Hitting out at the two leaders, Roy said their poor decisions, especially in selection of candidates, were responsible for BJP’s poll debacle in Bengal.

“The Kailash-Dilip-Shiv-Arvind foursome has dragged names of our respected Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Home Minister (Amit Shah) through mud and have sullied the name of the biggest political party in the world. Sitting atop Agarwal Bhavan of Hastings (Bengal BJP’s election headquarters) and 7-star hotels, they have distributed tickets to incoming garbage from Trinamool Congress,” Roy tweeted.

He added that now that these leaders are “faced with abuse from party workers”, they are hoping that the storm will blow over.

West Bengal polls (Twitter)

Though the party leadership denied commenting on Roy’s tweet, BJP spokesperson and state vice-president Joy Prakash Majumdar said, “We need a proper introspection to find out the reasons behind our defeat. It is perhaps because we couldn’t reach out to the people and make them understand the benefits of our schemes.”

The top party leadership is also concerned about the brewing disquiet in the party and so, perhaps, party insiders admitted that Dilip Ghosh has asked the national leaders to let the local leaders handle the problems.

Though Ghosh seemed to be ready to make a comment, he avoided by terming it as an ‘internal matter’, but his close aides confirmed that he is trying to strike a balance between the old hardliners and the newcomers in the party, but how far he will be successful only time will tell.

Also read:Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

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India News West Bengal

Deposits of 7 BJP candidates forfeited in WB polls

The seven saffron party nominees who suffered humiliating defeats were from Bhaganbangola, Lalgola, Raghunathganj, Canning East, Bhangar, Hariharpara and Sujapur….reports Asian Lite News

Of the 292 candidates who contested in the recently concluded Assembly elections in West Bengal, the deposits of seven BJP candidates have been forfeited.

The seven saffron party nominees who suffered humiliating defeats were from Bhaganbangola, Lalgola, Raghunathganj, Canning East, Bhangar, Hariharpara and Sujapur.

Election deposit is an amount deposited by the candidate while submitting his or her nomination. According to Election Commission rules, for state Assembly polls, the amount is Rs 10,000 while it is Rs 5,000 for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates.

As it is a caution money, the EC returns the amount to the candidates, but as per Section 34, 1 (a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, if a candidate fails to get 1/6th (16.5 per cent) of the total valid votes franchised in that constituency, then the amount deposited by him/her is seized by the poll panel.

he BJP candidate from the Bhagawangola Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district, Mehebub Alam, suffered a huge defeat as he went down to his nearest rival of Trinamool Congress by a margin of 137,088 votes. Trinamool’s Idris Ali got 153,795 votes against Alam’s 16,707, which is 7.2 per cent of the total votes cast.

West Bengal polls (Twitter)

The BJP candidate from Sujapur Assembly constituency in Malda district, S.K. Ziauddin, also suffered a huge defeat against Trinamool’s Md Abdul Ghani. Ghani got 152,445 votes against Ziauddin’s 14,789, which is just 7.1 per cent of the total votes polled.

The Trinamool candidate from Canning East in South 24 Parganas district, Soakat Molla, defeated his nearest rival Kalipada Naskar of the BJP by a margin of 87,059 votes. While Molla got 121,562 votes, Naskar could manage 34,503 votes, which is 14.5 per cent of the total votes cast.

Similarly, the BJP candidate from the Raghunathganj Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district managed to get only 14.9 per cent of the total votes polled. While BJP’s Golam Mudassuer got 28,251 votes, Trinamool candidate Akruzzaman was far ahead of him with 126,834 votes.

Abdul Kahelque Mollah, the Trinamool candidate from the Metiabruz Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, defeated his nearest rival Ramjit Prasad of the BJP by a margin of 84,282 votes. Mollah got 102,660 votes against Prasad’s tally of 31,357, which is 16 per cent of the total votes cast.

Similarly, the BJP candidate from Lalgola in Murshidabad district lost to his Trinamool rival by a margin of 78,363 votes, managing only 15.4 per cent of the vote share. While Trinamool’s Ali Mohammad got 107,703 votes, BJP’s Kalpana Ghosh’s tally stopped at 46,891.

In the Bhangar Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, BJP candidate Soumi Hati went down to the third position, getting only 38,726 votes against the winning ISF candidate Naushad Siddiqui’s tally of 109,063 votes.

Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

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India News West Bengal

MoS Muraleedharan’s convoy attacked in WB

Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan

The incident took place when Muraleedharan accompanied by BJP state leader Rahul Sinha was going to Ghatal in East Midnapore to meet some of the BJP supporters…reports Asian Lite News

In a shocking incident, the convoy of Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan was attacked by a group of unidentified miscreants at Panchkhuri area in West Midnapore district on Thursday afternoon.

The BJP alleged that the attack was a handiwork of the TMC goons but it was strongly refuted by the TMC leadership alleging that the BJP leadership is provoking people to resort to violence.

The incident took place when Muraleedharan accompanied by BJP state leader Rahul Sinha was going to Ghatal in East Midnapore to meet some of the BJP supporters who were injured in the attack allegedly by the TMC goons. When his convoy was at Panchkhuri that falls under West Midnapore, suddenly there was brick batting on his vehicle and people came with sticks and other things and stopped his vehicle.

He posted a video on Twitter and wrote, “TMC goons attacked my convoy in West Midnapore, broke windows, attacked personal staff. Cutting short my trip.”

Later speaking to the reporters, the union minister said, “The attack was orchestrated by TMC workers. He said that the incident took place in the presence of police, adding that the Mamata Banerjee government has turned a blind eye. I shall give my report to the central government”.

Also read:Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

The Ministry of Home Affairs asked West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to send a report on the law-and-order situation in the state, sources in the government said.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the ruling Trinamool Congress is responsible for this. “The Trinamool violence has crossed all limits. So far 14 BJP workers have been killed and lakhs of people have left their homes. This cannot be democracy”.

New Delhi: MoS External Affairs V. Muraleedharan participated in the 27th Regional Forum Ministerial via video conferencing in New Delhi on Sep 12, 2020. (Photo: IANS/MEA)

The Trinamool Congress leadership has strongly refuted the allegation. TMC district secretary of West Midnapore Ajit Maity claimed that nothing had happened and BJP was trying to create sensation.

Speaking to the media, veteran Trinamool leader Sougata Roy said, “Muraleedharan is a person from Kerala. What was he doing in West Bengal? They are now defeated and so they are trying to create disturbance in different areas. The BJP has won in most of the places where there are disturbances. I ask them to go back. We will take care of the law-and-order situation”.

Also read:Cong leaders praise Mamata, ignoring defeat

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Mamata accuses BJP of instigating violence

Mamata Banerjee

Banerjee also said that the BJP leadership should control itself and accept the mandate of the people….reports Asian Lite News

Hours after Union minister and senior BJP leader V. Muraleedharan alleged that his convoy was attacked by Trinamool Congress supporters in West Midnapore district, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the saffron party of instigating violence in Bengal to put undue pressure on the state government on the issue of law and order.

Speaking at a press conference at state secretariat Nabanna, Banerjee said, “One minister is trying to provoke people. Some sporadic incidents happen after elections and that is natural, but the BJP-led Central government is trying to exaggerate the whole thing. They are instigating violence.”

Banerjee also said that the BJP leadership should control itself and accept the mandate of the people.

Announcing a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the people who died in post-poll violence in the state, the Chief Minister said, “Altogether 16 people have died. Half of them are from the BJP, one from the ISF and rest from our party. So people from all the parties have died and I am really sorry for them. But what the BJP is doing is not acceptable.”

Mamata

Accusing the Centre of putting pressure on the state government, Banerjee said, “I took oath at 11 am on Wednesday and in the evening, they sent a strong letter and the next day they sent a Central team. Why are they in such a hurry? I don’t see this kind of prompt reaction when it comes to supply of oxygen, vaccines, emergency medicines or saline. They don’t send their teams then. They can’t accept their defeat.”

The Chief Minister also made it clear that controlling the Covid situation is her priority and she would work to keep the people of the state safe.

Also read:Mamata sworn in as CM for 3rd time

“I don’t have the time to fight with the BJP now. The elections are over. I want to make one thing clear that whoever comes to the state needs to get an RT PCR test done. I shall not allow anyone into the state without that,” Banerjee said.

“Even a Central minister or a businessman coming by a chartered flight will have to come with a fit medical certificate and I shall not allow anybody without that. If the person tests positive, he or she will have to stay in quarantine for 14 days at his own cost. I shall do everything for the poor people but not for those who have money,” she added.

New Delhi: MoS External Affairs V. Muraleedharan participated in the 27th Regional Forum Ministerial via video conferencing in New Delhi on Sep 12, 2020. (Photo: IANS/MEA)

When asked about people fleeing from Bengal and taking shelter in Assam, the Chief Minister said, “They are teaching the chief ministers to speak against me. When there was a problem in Assam, people came to Bengal. It happens in the bordering districts. I can see this more in Cooch Behar where the BJP has done well.”

Speaking on the Covid situation, Banerjee cautioned everybody to stay safe for the next 14 days.

“The state government has decided to develop oxygen plants in all the 105 state-run hospitals and it has already been prepared in Diamond Harbour and Cooch Behar. We have also asked the intern doctors and the post-graduate doctors to come forward and join our war against Covid. This will give an additional strength of 2,000 doctors,” she said.

Also read:Cong leaders praise Mamata, ignoring defeat

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Cong leaders praise Mamata, ignoring defeat

Former Union Minster Manish Tewari even termed Mamata as Rani of Jhansi (queen who fought the Britishers). Some are happy but cautioned the party…reports Asian Lite News

After Mamata Banerjee decimated the BJP in West Bengal it was Congress which was overwhelmed to congratulate the TMC for spectacular performance, while many Congress leaders wondered till when the Congress is happy in BJP’s loss.

Former Union Minster Manish Tewari even termed Mamata as Rani of Jhansi (queen who fought the Britishers). Some are happy but cautioned the party. Salman Khurshid said, “Mamata didi’s victory is relief and comfort despite the sacrifice we as Congress must endure. But for both as indeed many others there is need to return to drawing board for sustainable challenge to BJP.”

The reason for happiness is the defeat of the BJP but some said that the TMC leader was with the youth Congress and have worked with many party leaders during her political career and also the party saw hope in her defeat that BJP could be defeated if one works hard.

But some wondered like Ragini Nayak, “till when the party leaders will be happy in BJP’s defeat.” The Congress was the largest opposition party in outgoing assembly and in 2016 it had 44 seats.

But the Congress State President Adheer Ranjan Chowdhury was more direct and said that Congress should come out from Twitter and FB and hit the roads, perhaps this is the opportunity.

Also read:‘BJP’s North Indian strategy won’t work in Kerala’

The Congress scored zero in the West Bengal election and even lost its strongholds, while the party has said that it is committed to course correction. After losing in the state polls the Congress said that the party will “study” the results, correct mistakes and do a course correction.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala addressing a press conference on Sunday read out a statement and said, “The Congress Party will definitely study the results and all the reasons diligently and we are committed to correct our mistakes and do appropriate course correction.”

Adhir Chowdhury(Twitter)

Surjewala said the people’s mandate is the final word in a democracy. People of West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have given their democratic mandate for the next five years. We accept the verdict with humility and a sense of responsibility.

The statement said the party had lost the elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal but we have neither lost our morale nor our resolve or determination to continuously become the people’s voice in these times of unprecedented calamity.

Also read:Ramesh alleges CPI-M, BJP of cutting deals

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Trinamool wins back confidence in Junglemahal

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, all the seats in Junglemahal, including Purulia, Medinipur, Bishnupur in Bankura and Jhargram went to the BJP….reports Asian Lite News

An aggressive presence of Trinamool Congress in the Junglemahal seats took the air out of BJP’s sail in the recently concluded Assembly elections in West Bengal in which the ruling party cruised to a landslide victory.

In the last Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ahead in all the 40 Assembly segments in the Junglemahal area comprising four districts — Purulia, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Jhargam.

However, this time the Trinamool has snatched 25 seats from the saffron brigade, proclaiming that it has been successful in winning back the confidence of the tribal population of the region.

Junglemahal comprises 40 seats of which 16 are in Paschim Medinipur, 12 in Bankura, 9 in Purulia and 4 in Jhargram. Of these 40 seats, 15 are reserved for SC and ST.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, all the seats in Junglemahal, including Purulia, Medinipur, Bishnupur in Bankura and Jhargram went to the BJP.

However, this time, out of the 40 Assembly seats, the Trinamool bagged 24, while the BJP won 16, which was a major setback for the saffron party, as Junglemahal is considered to be an electoral swing region in Bengal.

A closer analysis of the seats shows that Trinamool bagged all the four seats in Jhargram, 13 out of 15 seats in Paschim Medinipur, 3 out of 9 seats in Purulia and 4 out of 12 seats in Bankura.

Also read:Mamata meets Governor after landslide victory

Though the BJP’s performance has been relatively better in Bankura and Purulia, but in the other two districts it couldn’t make a mark at all.

Interestingly enough, of these 40 seats, 15 belonged to the reserved category. The Trinamool has managed to win 9 out of these 15 seats, leaving the impression that the tribal people have started migrating to the ruling party.

The people who deserted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and believed in Prime Minister Narendra Modi seem to have started flocking back to the ruling Trinamool Congress. This is perhaps Banerjee’s greatest success that was evident in the landslide victory of her party in the Assembly polls.

Bihar BJP workers .

It has become evident that unlike in some other constituencies in the Bengal polls, the BJP’s Hindutva push did not prove effective among the tribal community mainly dominated by the Santhals and the Kurmis in the Junglemahal region.

The results declared on May 2 revealed a poll debacle for the BJP in Junglemahal, while the party’s internal assessment revealed that a majority of the Santhal vote share, which was its biggest base in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, shifted to the Trinamool this time.

On the other hand, Banerjee tried to reach to the doorsteps of the tribal people who are hungry for love and respect. Her social welfare schemes like Swasthya Sathi, Duare Sarkar and Khadya Sathi providing rice at Rs 2 per kg throughout the year seem to have satisfied the basic needs of these underprivileged people. Also, the party workers were told to reach out to these people so that they could speak about their grievances, a ploy which worked wonders for the party.

“If you respect them, they will shower everything on you. This is exactly what we did in Junglemahal. We listened to their grievances and fulfilled their demands with full dignity. We tried to understand the problems they faced over the past decade.

“Most of them demanded that they want to become self-reliant and alleged that they were finding it difficult to avail the government schemes as there was no one to guide them. We formed a body comprising representatives of 13 tribal communities, including Kurmi, Santhal, Lodha, Sabar, Mahali, Munda and others, so that their problems could be addressed,” said a senior Trinamool leader.

Also read:Giant killer Mamata’s tryst with three dates


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India News West Bengal

EC suggests TMC to approach HC for Nandigram recount

The commission said that the RO takes a decision which can only be challenged through an election petition under Section 80 of the RP Act, 1951….reports Asian Lite News

Following Trinamool Congress’ demand for recounting of votes in the Nandigram Assembly constituency in West Bengal where Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee suffered a close defeat against her one-time aide Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP, the Election Commission on Tuesday clarified that the “only legal remedy is to file an EP (Execution Petition) before the High Court”.

After the declaration of Assembly election results on Sunday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had approached state Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab demanding recounting of votes in Nandigram, following the Returning Officer’s decision to not allow the same.

The EC on Tuesday made it clear that the Returning Officer (RO) of an Assembly constituency performs statutory functions under the RP Act, 1951 in “quasi-judicial” capacity independently.

Also read:Giant killer Mamata’s tryst with three dates

The commission said that the RO takes a decision which can only be challenged through an election petition under Section 80 of the RP Act, 1951.

The poll panel said that after the counting in Nandigram, the polling agent of a particular candidate (Mamata Banerjee) had requested for recounting, which was rejected by the RO.

“…In such a case, the only legal remedy is to file an EP before the High Court,” the EC said.

The poll panel said that in this regard, the Chief Electoral Officer in West Bengal has made available a copy of the order of the RO and other relevant materials related to counting, while the General Observer for the Assembly constituency has also furnished a report in the matter.

The EC further said that the election related officials on the ground perform in extremely competitive political environment with full transparency and fairness, and therefore attribution of any motive in such cases is not desirable.

Also read:Mamata sworn in as CM for 3rd time