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Confusion prevailed on Thursday at the announcement of the BJP’s latest batch of candidates for the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Former Chief Economic Adviser Ashok Lahiri was unceremoniously replaced as the party’s candidate from the Alipurduar and some named candidates formally refuting their candidature to the mortification of the party.
Lahiri was replaced by local strongman in Alipurduar Suman Kanjilal who had been among the more vociferous protestors against the former CEA’s candidature on the grounds that he is an “outsider”. Lahiri himself was taken by surprise by the sudden change just three days after he had been named as the official candidate.
“I’m hearing it from you,” Lahiri told BusinessLine when quizzed about whether he had been informed of the change.
A senior BJP leader, however, maintained that the economist may still be fielded from some other constituency.
Controversies
At least two candidates said they had been named “without any consultation”. The name of Shikha Mitra, wife of former Congress state unit President, the late Somen Mitra, figured as the BJP candidate from Chowranghee seat. Mitra, however, said she had no knowledge of her candidature.
Similarly, Tarun Saha, husband of TMC candidate Mala Saha, also maintained “I said no to contesting elections. I am not a political person.” . Saha was named as the party’s candidate from Kolkata’s Kashipur-Belgachhia seat.
BJP is facing a lot of local dissidence over tickets being given to TMC or Congress defectors.
Candidate List
Meanwhile, at least 18 dissidents cutting across party lines, six minority candidates, five celebrities and some senior leaders feature amongst the 156 new names that the BJP announced for the fifth to eighth phases.
The list of TMC dissenters include, Vaishali Dalmiya (daughter of late BCCI President, Jagmohan Dalmiya); Mukul Roy’s son Subhranshu; Arjun Singh’s son, Pawan; Jiten Tiwari; Col (retd) Diptanshu Chowdhury; Sabyasachi Dutta, Rathindranath Chakraborty, among others. Most of these candidates are seeking re-election from constituencies they won in 2016.
Celebrity candidates include actors Shrabanti Chatterjee, Rudranil Ghosh and Parno Mitra; fashion designer and head of party’s women wing, Agnimitra Paul and former footballer, Kalyan Chaubey.
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