Bhabanipur bypolls: BJP claims Mamata Banerjee concealed criminal cases against her in nomination papers

Kolkata: The BJP on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee did not make a mention about pending criminal cases in her nomination papers for the Bhabanipur by-poll. Sajal Ghosh, the chief election agent of the saffron party’s candidate for the constituency, Priyanka Tibrewal, wrote to the EC, raising objections to Banerjee’s declaration. “I beg to object to the nomination/declaration filed by Mamata Banerjee… on the ground that the candidate has failed to disclose particulars of the pending criminal proceedings against her,” he said. Ghosh, in his letter, also made a note of the number of cases filed at different police stations in Assam against Banerjee, including at Geeta Nagar, Pan Bazaar and Jagiroad. The cases have been filed under IPC sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the government), 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), among others. When contacted, Ghosh, a BJP leader, told PTI: “The EC must reject her nomination. She has suppressed the facts.” Meanwhile, TMC leader and West Bengal Transport Minister Firhad Hakim lambasted the saffron party for making baseless allegations against Banerjee, asserting that the move is aimed at creating confusion among voters of the constituency. “This is a fictitious complaint. They did the same thing when the elections were held in Nandigram. The BJP leaders have no internal communication. They have no knowledge the ECI had conducted an investigation into the matter and declared that the woman against whom cases are pending is not the same Mamata Banerjee,” he claimed. During the assembly elections in March, BJP candidate for the Nandigram Assembly constituency Suvendu Adhikari had appealed to the EC to reject Banejree’’s nomination for the seat, alleging that she suppressed information about at least six criminal cases pending against her - five lodged in Assam and one registered by the CBI. The Election Commission, however, had rubbished the allegations, contending that the cases were against another woman of the same name. Banerjee had last week filed her nomination papers for the 30 September Bhabanipur assembly by-poll. The chief minister, who lost the election in Nandigram, has to win this by-poll to retain the post. She will be pitted against BJP’s Priyanka Tibrewal and Left Front’s Srijib Biswas. The result will be declared on 3 October.