Mamata files nomination for Bhabanipur Assembly bypoll

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee filed her nomination for the by-election in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency on Friday.

She arrived at the Survey Building in Chetla at 1.15 pm and was accompanied by her election agent Baishanar Chattopadhyay. Her name was proposed by Ismat Hakim, wife of state Transport minister Firhad Hakim and Nispal Singh Rane.

Banerjee waived at party supporters who were standing opposite the Survey Building, who had been earlier requested not to accompany her during the filing of nomination in view of the Covid pandemic.

The TMC chief will be pitted against BJP's Priyanka Tibrewal and Left Front's Srijib Biswas.

Meanwhile, the TMC chairperson went to Maharashtra Nivas to participate in the Ganesh Chaturthi. She spoke to the organisers and spent some time with them as well. On her way back home, she went to a pandal near her residence where Ganesh Puja was being held.

Trinamool Congress is carrying out canvassing for the Bhabanipur by-election in full swing. As no central rally will be taken out in view of the pandemic, the main thrust will be on door-to-door canvassing. Party's ward coordinators attended the community Ganesh Puja being held in Bhabanipur to develop mass contact. Veteran TMC leaders, including Subrata Mukherjee, Saugata Roy, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas are likely to take part in the door-to-door campaigning along with the ward coordinators and party workers. Of the eight wards that fall under Bhabanipur Assembly seat, seven are under Trinamool Congress while one is under CPI(M).

Banerjee, while addressing the TMC workers' convention in Chetla on Wednesday, confirmed that she would file her nomination on September 10.

TMC supporters cheered their leader with slogans like "Bhabanipur Nijer Ghorer Meyekei chai" (Bhabanipur wants her own daughter) and "Bhabanipur eh Khela Hobe" (Game will happen in Bhabanipur).

"For us, the challenge is not victory as we are confident about it. The challenge is to ensure Didi's win by a record margin," said a TMC worker.

Banerjee is required to win a seat in the state Assembly by November 5 in conformity with the constitutional provisions in order to continue as Chief Minister. The Constitution allows a non-member of a state legislature or Parliament to continue in a ministerial position without getting elected only for six months.