Noapara bypoll: BJP files new candidate post Manju debacle

Kolkata: After former Trinamool Congress legislator Manju Basu declined to stand on BJP's ticket for Noapara by-elections on Sunday, BJP was compelled to field a new candidate in the assembly seat on Monday. BJP's new candidate, 38-year-old Sandip Banerjee, is the party's Barrackpore district chief.

Trinamool Congress on Monday took a swipe at ex-party stalwart-turned-BJP leader Mukul Roy, who had reportedly recommended Basu's name as the candidate.

Party Secretary General Partha Chatterjee advised Roy to focus on party organisation instead of resorting to 'gimmicks'.

"Someone's loyalty towards Mamata Banerjee cannot be taken away by invoking fear. The man from Kachrapara would not be able to do anything by resorting to these sort of gimmicks," Chatterjee said in a veiled reference to Roy who had defected from Trinamool in November last year.

Chatterjee further said he should first secure his place within the party he has entered. He also refuted the allegations of Roy on Sunday that their nominated candidate for Noapara was arm-twisted by TMC. It may be mentioned that Manju Basu had herself said on Sunday that she is with TMC party supremo Mamata Banerjee and has full faith in her.

Trinamool Congress district president in Birbhum Anubrata Mondal also launched a scathing attack on Mukul Roy on Monday by calling him "nothing less than a thief". He raised questions over how Roy has been amassing so much wealth over the years.

"He did not have a broken car 35 years ago. How did he earn money over the years? Everything will come to light gradually. He has been involved in the corruption of crores," Mondal said at a conference of priests at Bolpur town on Monday.

He further alleged that Roy had done harm to Trinamool Congress with which the latter was associated for a long time. It may be mentioned here that Roy had repeatedly brought some corruption charges against Mondal holding him responsible in land related corruption.

Mondal on Monday organised a Brahmin convention and said the convention aims to highlight "misinterpretation" of the Hindu religion by the BJP.

State Food & Supplies minister and TMC district president of North 24-Parganas Jyotipriya Mallick said Roy was trying to sideline Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh. "Mukul Roy is doing politics of lies. He is also in a tug-of-war with Dilip Ghosh over candidates. Manju Basu should file a defamation suit against him," Mallick said.

Roy at a party programme at Dhulagarh in Howrah said: "This has happened due to my adventurism."