TMC starts campaign for Manicktala Assembly bypoll

Kolkata: There was no official announcement about the candidature for the Manicktala Assembly bypoll by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), yet its leaders on Wednesday morning started campaigns in various wards under the Manicktala Assembly Constituency in support of former state minister Sadhan Pande’s widow Supti Pande.

Supti Pande is going to contest the bypoll from Manicktala as the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday indicated in a closed-door meeting.

Supti, Banerjee’s BEd classmate, who has largely stayed off active politics, appeared to be a surprise pick. Pandes’ daughter Shrreya was more into active politics after the death of her father. Wall graffiti was painted in Manicktala after the Supti’s candidature was cleared by the Trinamool Congress chief at Tuesday’s meeting. The party is yet to announce her name as a candidate for Manicktala.

Banerjee on Tuesday invited Supti in a meeting along with ex-Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh, KMC deputy mayor Atin Ghosh and MMiC Swapan Samaddar, and indicated her choice for Pande’s political successor in Maniktala. Supti later told reporters: “People from far and wide knew about Sadhan Pande. It was because of him that I got to know every person and every worker’s home. I know Maniktala like the back of my hand.”

Wall graffiti was drawn at Ward number 14. The local councillor Amal Chakraborty engaged himself in drawing graffiti. He claimed that they got to know from the party that Supti Pande is going to be the party candidate from Manicktala and hence the campaign was started. It was learnt that Anindya Raut will be the agent for Trinamool candidate in the bypoll, and Kunal Ghosh would be the convener.

The Maniktala Assembly seat had no MLAs for over two years after the death of former consumer affairs minister Sadhan Pande in February 2022 due to a pending petition in the Supreme Court. The bypolls will be held on July 10.