A day after nominating film star Mithun Chakrabarty for Rajya Sabha, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday sprung yet another surprise this time by declaring the names of three other “unlikely” candidates for the remaining seats.
Trinamool Congress all India general secretary Mukul Roy on Sunday announced the names of painter Jogen Chowdhury, Trinamool leader from Haryana KD Singh and Ahmad Hasan a newspaper editor for three Upper House seats apart from the one (of Chakrabarty) announced on Saturday. Reportedly one of Trinamool’s efficient fund raisers KD Singh is the Rajya Sabha MP from Jharkhand.
Ahmad is the editor of Daily Kalam, a local newspaper reportedly with Trinamool Congress leanings, while Chowdhury has been one of staunchest backers of Banerjee since the Singur-Nandigram days. Unlike other Kolkata intelligentsia, he has refused to hit the streets against the Chief Minister’s so-called ‘autocratic’ style of functioning.
Polls would be held in February for five seats falling vacant from the State. Out of them the Trinamool given its numerical strength in the State Assembly will be able to win three seats. The Opposition left Front is sure to send one candidate to the Upper House. The Congress which has decided to field a candidate is however handicapped by its numerical strength of 38 MlAs and needs the backing of either the left or the Trinamool to see its candidate through.
However, with Banerjee fielding four candidates the Rajya Sabha polls is set to witness a keen contest which might see some cross voting or hacking either from the Congress or the left. If the Trinamool manages to scrape through then it would definitely help Banerjee expose the schism within the left and the Congress ranks showing some of their voters voted for her candidate. And if the left and the Congress combine to vote for a common candidate then it would be easier for her to expose the Congress and convince the electorate before the elections as to which is the real anti-CPI(M) outfit in Bengal, insiders said.
Meanwhile Trinamool MP Subhendu Adhikary on Sunday echoed Mukul Roy insisting Banerjee would play an important role in Delhi after the general elections. “Notwithstanding claims made by all quarters it is Mamata Banerjee who will decide as to who will lead the next Government in Delhi” he said in a rally at Chinsurah in Hooghly district.