West Bengal 2016: After six-phase polls, it is time for family and friends

Kolkata: After the marathon six-phase West Bengal Assembly polls ended on 5 May and their fates sealed in EVMs, heavyweight politicians and celeb nominees are now spending their time with family and friends. “I love to read books. but due to poll campaign, I couldn’t get much time. But now I am spending my leisure time reading books. This apart, I am meeting my party workers and colleagues,” senior Trinamool Congress leader and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee told PTI. Chatterjee, who contested from Behala Paschim seat, said he is “confident about his victory”. [caption id=“attachment_2771964” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. PTI[/caption] Asian Games gold medallist and CPM candidate Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, who is stranger neither to politics nor to the rigours of a poll campaign, is spending time with family members. “I use this time to spend time with family and friends,” the former parliamentarian, in the fray from Sonarpur North constituency in South 24-Parganas district, said. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha and senior TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee said they are balancing work and family life. “Just after the elections got over, I went back to work. I am regularly attending office,” the Panchayat Minister and candidate for Ballygunge constituency in south Kolkata told PTI. “I am also spending time with family,” Mukherjee added. Rahul Sinha, who has contested the polls from Jorasakho constituency of Kolkata, said though he has not taken a day off even after the election, he is giving time to his family too.

“I didn’t take a single day off. I am busy with party’s organisational work. The day of polling in my constituency was 21 April. But after that till May 3, I was busy campaigning for other candidates,” the former state BJP president told PTI. However, there are different tunes too. CPM Rajya Sabha MP and star campaigner of the party Ritabrata Banerjee, who has crisscrossed the entire state for election campaign is now attending the ongoing Parliament session. State Congress president and MP Adhir Chowdhury, who attended more than 100 rallies canvassing for his party and CPM alliance, is giving more time to the party work. “The elections may be over. But still there are lot of party-related work so I am looking into those works,” he said. Actor-turned BJP candidate from Howrah North constituency, Roopa Ganguly said she too is busy with the party’s organisational work.