ANHAD exposes Modi’s wrongs in West Bengal, shows film on malnutrition and graft in Gujarat

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net

14^th December, 2013

Kolkata: A press conference was held by Act Now for Harmony and Democracy (ANHAD) at Kolkata Press Club on December 10. It was presided over by Shabnam Hashmi and Dhruv Sangri.

The conference highlighted Narendra Modi’s miss-governance in his own state of Gujarat as he claims of bringing development to all of India. “People should know how are the people of Gujarat living now under Narendra Modi’s chief ministership. Gujarat ranks in worst position after Modi came to power. Every third day, a women is raped in Gujarat. Where is the development?” asked activist and chief functionary of ANHAD.

Shabnam Hashmi

Along with ANHAD member and Sufi singer Dhruv Sangari, Shabnam showed a short film titled `Kachcha Chittha’ an investigative series on Modi’s misdeeds. The film captures Modi’s expenditures for Sadbhavana Upvas. It also exposed the truth of Modi’s expenditure for his rallies.

Modi’s Sadbhavna Upvas cost was Rs. 50,000 excluding the costs of lightning was upto Rs. 1,80,000, Rs. 5,00,000 for hoardings, Rs. 20,00,000 for putting up tents.

While citing documentary evidence Shabnam said, “In 1995, when BJp’s government came to power in Gujarat 1995, the state loan was 10,000 cr which increased to Rs. 45,301 when Modi took office as CM in 2001. This whopping amount of loan increased to Rs. 2,00,765 cr upto 30 December 2012.”

“Out of 225 blocks in Gujarat, 57 are identified as undeveloped. In these blocks, 44.6 % infants in the category of below 5 years age are suffering due to lack of nutrition, 70 % suffer from Anemia and 40% are under weight. Moreover, out of 20 states with high anemia record Gujarat is at the top.” She is also said that the state of education is pathetic in Gujarat. In 8 districts of Gujarat vacancy of teachers has reached the number of 2494.

While quoting the census report of 2011 she also said that 29% people, which is upto Rs.1,75,00,000 of total population of Gujarat, do not get purified drinking water. Similarly, 32% of people were living under poverty line in 2001 which swelled to 39% by 2011, she said. She also mentioned the reports published by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), Shabnam said that from 2004 to 2010 Gujarat is consistently ranking an all-time low in alleviating poverty.

“Only 12% Muslims have bank accounts in Gujarat out of which only 2.6% get loans. According to NSSO report, the percentage of Muslim employees recruitment in the last 12 years is nearly zero,” said Shabnam. She also said that 1958 cases related to Gujarat massacre are still now pending in Supreme Court, but only 117 persons are arrested. As far as attendance in state assembly is concerned, they have hardly met for 30-32 days.

ANHAD exposes Modi’s wrongs in West Bengal, shows film on malnutrition and graft in Gujarat

BJP's decision had helped Trinamool Congress to retain the Howrah Lok Sabha seat

KOLKATA: Aided by the withdrawal of BJP's candidate at the last moment, the Trinamool Congress today managed to retain the Howrah Lok sabha seat with a comfortable margin.

BJP today also claimed that its decision not to field candidate had helped Trinamool Congress retain the Howrah Lok Sabha seat, but said the drop in the winning margin was a "warning to TMC".

"It is known to everyone that our decision not to contest the Howrah parliamentary by-election, which was our party decision, has helped Trinamool Congress win and retain the seat," BJP's state president Rahul Sinha told PTI.

He claimed that there was a "substantial drop in the winning margin" of the Trinamool Congress "which should be a warning for the party".

The BJP had decided at the fag end of the poll process, not to field candidate following instruction from the party's national president,Rajnath Singh.

Had the BJP contested the bye-election, Congress would have slid to fourth position, Sinha added.

Dispelling the negativity surrounding the Mamata Banerjee-government post Saradha scam, TMC candidate and former international footballer Prasun Banerjee defeated his nearest CPI-M rival Sridip Bhattacharjee by a margin of  over 27,000 votes.

While TMC and CPI-M grabbed 4,26,273 and 3,99,258 votes respectively, the Congress candidate became a distant third securing 96,727 votes.In 2009, TMC had an alliance with the Congress and won the seat by a margin of more than 37,000 votes.

However, TMC-Congress had a lead of over 1,80,000 votes in 2011 assembly election in the seven seats that comes under Howrah Lok Sabha constituency. A comparison with political's party's vote share shows it was the absence of BJP that determined today's election result in favour of TMC.

While TMC got 44.62% votes, CPI-M secured 41.70%. It should be noted that BJP had secured about 4-5% votes in 2009 Lok Sabha and 2011 assembly elctions in the area respectively. As it is believed that BJP's votes are more inclined to go to TMC than the Left in absence of the party, analysts poitned out, BJP's absence favoured TMC.

Left and Congress, however, were quick to accuse TMC of having an "understanding" with BJP ahead of 2014 general election. "The Howrah Lok Sabha seat was BJP's gift to TMC," said senior Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed.

BJP, which had secured over 50,000 votes in 2011 in the area withdrew its candidate at the last moment, despite announcing its candidate earlier.

But this time it was always a close battle, given that TMC was contesting on its own and opposition made the Saradha scam and TMC's alleged assoiciation with such companies a major campaign issue.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of Trinamool Congress MP Ambika Banerjee.

Reacting to the poll result West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said, "This time we have fought Parliamentary by-election at Howrah all alone. A new era is born. Our candidate Prasun Banerjee, an Arjun awardee, has won the election today."

http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/tmc-wins-howrah-lok-sabha-by-poll-113060500533_1.html

http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/margin-drop-in-howrah-bypoll-a-warning-for-trinamool-bjp-113060500685_1.html 

Trinamool wins Howrah bypoll, signs of discontent visible as Left vote share rises

KOLKATA, JUNE 5:  After nearly a four-year-long winning streak, Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Wednesday faced early signs of discontent among voters at the by-election to the Howrah Lok Sabha constituency. Howrah is the twin-city of Kolkata.

The discontent, visible in a surge in the vote share in favour of the Left Front, however, did not change the end result. Trinamool nominee, Prasun Bannerjee, a former captain of Indian soccer team, won the seat by a margin of over 27,000 votes, against his nearest rival Sridip Bhattacharjee of CPI(M).

Mamata Banerjee expressed satisfaction with the result. Because unlike in 2009 Lok Sabha Polls and the Assembly election in 2011, Trinamool Congress did not have the backing of one-time ally Congress. Trinamool walked out of the alliance in 2012. “Congress requires us. We don’t need Congress,” she announced, taking credit for winning the fight, “solo”.

But, the arithmetic is not that simple. Political analysts suggest that since 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Left Front witnessed a steady erosion in its vote share in almost every poll (except Haldia municipal election), in the State.

From 44 per cent in 2009 (Lok Sabha), Left’s vote share came down to nearly 41 per cent in 2011 (Assembly). Subsequent by polls and municipal polls saw Left’s vote share coming down by another 5-10 percentage points. The fall was steady and uninterrupted.

The correction came in Howrah by-poll. Compared with the 2009 election, the Left ended up nearly two percentage points lower at 41.85 per cent. But, compared against the tally in Assembly segments in 2011, the CPI(M)’s vote share went up by 4.5 percentage points.

In 2011 Assembly election, the TMC-Congress alliance got 54 per cent vote against 37 per cent of Left, in the respective Lok Sabha segment. Left drew a blank in all of seven assembly constituencies in 2011. In contrast, in the 2013 Lok Sabha by-poll, Left secured lead in two assembly segments.

With Congress ending up the 2013 by-poll with over 10 per cent votes, their average share in the state, Left camp is anticipating erosion in Trinamool’s vote share in Howrah.

“TMC’s vote share is expected to have come down. Dissolution is growing among people. If they (TMC) did not suppress and intimidate voters results would have been better,” said Surya Kanta Mishra, CPI(M) politburo member and Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

pratim.bose@thehindu.co.in

abhishek.l@thehindu.co.in

Trinamool wins Howrah bypoll, signs of discontent visible as Left vote share rises | Business Line

Advani revives temple card in West Bengal

Kolkata, May 9: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani here Friday reiterated his party's resolve to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya."Jai Sriram' will be fruitful only when we will build a Ram Mandir in Ayadhya," Advani told an election rally here.

He said: "A coalition government has its limitations. If we come to power, we will have to take the coalition into confidence. (But) A day will come when both the Hindus and Muslims will say together that the Ram Mandir must be built."

Slamming the Left parties and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the centre, Advani said: "The 2004 alliance between the Congress and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) was totally opportunistic. It was based upon simply a negative consideration that the BJP be kept out." "Now the Congress and the CPI-M will have to bear the wages of opportunism."

The CPI-M-led Left parties had provided crucial support to the UPA government for four years since 2004. They withdrew support in July 2008, protesting against the India-US civil nuclear deal. Advani launched a website of his party's candidate Tathagata Roy, who is contesting from Kolkata North constituency.

Advani said there would be neither a Third Front government nor a Fourth Front regime at the centre. "The reality of Indian politics now is the country could only be ruled by either a Congress-led or a BJP-led government. And all the other small parties will join these two leagues," he said.

Advani was, however, silent on the former alliance partner Trinamool Congress, which has now switched its allegiance to the Congress camp. Criticising the central government for "non-performance", he said, "This is the only government since 1952 which has done nothing in its five-year rule. Its record is completely blank."

Statue of Jesus Christ attacked in Kalimpong

Indian Catholic

NEW DELHI: A group of BJP led miscreants attacked the statue of Jesus Christ installed in the historical place of Pedong, and damaged it severely on April 25 in Kalimpong, West Bengal. According to a Evangelical Fellowship of India correspondent, Rev. Susanta Patra reported that some groups damaged the statue of crucifixion installed recently on a ‘Cross Hill’ belonging to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

It was reported that the miscreants try to take the 5 foot tall statue of Christ off the cross, breaking the statue badly. Speaking to EFI, parish priest, Father Peter Lingdamo said. “The police were very concerned and they came to inspect the incident soon after they were informed. We are positive that police protection will be provided should the need arises” The church did not file a police complaint. Pedong is predominantly a Christian area and such incident as reported was rare. Pray that calm will return to the area and for fruitful ministries in the area.

A CHARADE OF AN ELECTION IN THE HILL SUBDIVISIONS OF DARJEELING

DARJEELING,2nd May: As we have reported elsewhere, the elections in the hill areas of Darjeeling were rendered into a political sham on poll day, 30 April 2009. It had rained, indeed poured heavily throughout the morning and into the early afternoon.

Yet, it was found by late morning that a massive percentage of polling had been done in an astonishingly short period of time. This could only be done if buttons on the EVMs are pushed in a continuum without a break. The whole process reeks of a political sham.

The issue also raises several important questions:

1.What were the elections officials doing when this farce of a poll was taking place? Why they would not speak out, far less than file a written complaint about what was taking place, which was nothing but a breach of the Model Code for elections.

2.What happened to the five companies of paramilitary troopers who were assigned for duty in the hills? What prevented them from being present around the hill polling booths?

3.A strong demand was made to the ECI to ban and disband the Gorkha Land Personnel (GLP) – and it was found it was the GLP itself that was engaged in conducting the polls in the hiulls. In fact, they were in charge and in a harshly threatening mood all the time.

4.Throughout the polls despite complaints, the process of wiping away of the name and style of West Bengal Government and substituting it for ‘Gorkhaland Government’ was allowed to continue -- and the protests were in vain. The ECI could have also taken suo motu action from reports and photographs published in various news papers and magazines.

Finally and surprisingly, despite complaints, the ECI would not order re-poll in a single booth in the hill areas, opting instead for re-poll in two booths in the plains.

BJP for creation of smaller states: Jaswant Singh

SILIGURI (WB), 10 April: BJP candidate from Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat Jaswant Singh on Friday said his party was in favour of smaller states but refrained from saying if it was for creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland. He said BJP in principle favoured creation of smaller states and the NDA government had created three states in the country. Without uttering the word 'Gorkhaland', Singh told a press conference that his party would 'sympathetically and appropriately' examine and consider the long-pending demands of Gorkhas, adivasis and other people of the area. Later addressing an election rally at Sukhiapokhri in Darjeeling, Singh, describing the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha's demand for a separate seat as 'constitutional', said he would raise the matter on the floor of Parliament and do everything possible for the development of the district. The former external affairs minister, who is supported by GJM, accused West Bengal's Left front government for neglecting the district and the hills, in particular. He charged the Left Front government, during its 32 years of rule, had failed to provide the people of the district with minimum facilities like health, education, and road communication.

CPI(M) Memorandum to EC on Darjeeling

New Delhi, April 7, 2009: Shri Sitaram Yechury, member, Polit Bureau of CPI(M) and Shri Nilotpal Basu, member, Central Secretariat of CPI(M) met the Election Commission today and submitted a memorandum.The copy of the memorandum presented on the serious situation in the three hill sub-divisions of the Darjeeling Parliament Constituency in West Bengal and the need for creating an appropriate atmosphere for the holding of free and fair elections, is given below:

April 7, 2009

To

The Election Commission of India

Nirvachan Sadan

Ashoka Road,

New Delhi

Dear Sir,

With a great sense of concern and anguish, we would like to draw your attention to the abnormal situation prevailing in the 4-Darjeeling Parliament constituency in the state of West Bengal where the right of Left Front nominated CPI(M) candidate Shri Jibesh Sarkar is being undermined by the terror unleashed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). At the outset, we would give you the background of the present situation. In three hill sub-divisions viz Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong which fall under 4-Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency, it is the GJM which is dominating physically with force and violence pursuing the separatist slogan of Gorkhaland. The GJM is playing havoc by not allowing other parties, particularly the CPI(M) to campaign in those hill areas. Our Party have, time and again, informed the Election Commission, Chief Election Officer, West Bengal, District Election Officer and other law enforcing authorities about the prevailing situation, despite that no perceptible improvement is there in the ground level condition.The summary of the situation can be described as follows: 1.Our activists are not being allowed to move freely in their own areas, not to speak of campaigning for the election2.Those activists and supporters of the Party who attend the meetings are threatened and social boycott is enforced through the crude use of force and violence in the localities3.CPI(M) Party district office was forced to be closed down earlier on 27th March when our candidate Shri Jibesh Sarkar went to Darjeeling for meeting the voters. He was forced to withdraw from the area and the Party leadership was kept gheraoed for a long time inside the Party office.4.Our festoons and hoardings were not allowed to demonstrate in different areas of Hills and the foot hills as well by the gangs of the Morcha5.The GJM is also threatening the Tibetan, Muslim and other minority communities with dire consequences if they do not vote for the Morcha-supported candidate. This complaint has also been lodged with the All India Minority Commission which is an independent constitutional body.In the background of all these, we urge the Commission to take it up with the CEO of West Bengal and other concerned authorities to ensure that an appropriate atmosphere for a free and fair election is created in the three assembly segments of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong assembly segments of the 4-Darjeeling Parliament constituency. We strongly feel that the security arrangement should not only been ensured for the polling day but for the entire period of campaign in the run up to the elections. We particularly draw your attention to the need for ensuring the safety and security of our candidate and our activists and sympathisers during this campaign period. We also urge strong action be initiated against Shri Bimal Gurung, the GJM supremo for his vitriolic speech intimidating the minorities like Tibetans and Muslims (content is part of the CD placed in the annexure). We also request you to ensure that official meetings for the constituency in which representatives of political parties have to attend are held in Siliguri instead of Darjeeling. We also urge you that the counting of votes should take place in Darjeeling, Siliguri and Islampur as in the past. In the event of the counting for all the Assembly segments centrally at one place, we would like to suggest that it should be held in Siliguri and not in Darjeeling. Our apprehension is that it is not possible to hold the counting in a normal and peaceful atmosphere in Darjeeling. We are hereby appending all relevant past communications, as well as, written and video material to substantiate our contention.

(Sitaram Yechury)
Member, Polit Bureau,

(Nilotpal Basu)
Member, Central Secretariat

BJP trying to divide West Bengal: CPI(M)

Kolkata,4th April: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI(M)) on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to divide West Bengal and asserted that it would make BJP's tie-up with the pro-Gorkhaland Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) a poll issue.

"It is astonishing that the BJP has promised in its election manifesto to look into the Gorkhaland issue sympathetically. It is the reflection of its double standards," CPI(M) State secretary Biman Basu told reporters.

The CPI(M)'s reaction came in the wake of the GJM joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and extending support to Jaswant Singh's candidature from the Darjeeling seat. The BJP manifesto has promised to consider sympathetically the GJM's demand for a Gorkhaland state to be carved out of parts of north Bengal including Darjeeling.

Mr. Basu said the BJP had not supported the Gorkhaland demand at the all-party meeting in the state secretariat and accused it of being greedy for votes.

"The BJP's game plan is in sync with its policy of trying to divide the people on the basis of religion, language, caste and creed. This will definitely be an issue for us. We shall never allow Bengal to be divided again," Mr. Basu said.

CPI(M) terms BJP decision on Gorkhaland amazing

KOLKATA,3rd April: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision — as stated in its election manifesto — to sympathetically consider the issue of a separate State of Gorkhaland if it and its allies come to power is “amazing,” Biman Bose, secretary of the West Bengal State committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said here on Friday.

The BJP’s game plan was to divide the people of West Bengal. It was adopting “double standards,” as it had supported a resolution passed in the Assembly opposing any division of the State — one that was endorsed by all parties, he said.

“The BJP is following the imperialist design of divide and rule. It is an exponent of dividing the people of Darjeeling district as a whole,” said Mr. Bose, who is also chairman of the Left Front Committee.

The BJP is to contest from the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency with the support of the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM), which is demanding the creation of Gorkhaland, comprising Darjeeling district and areas in the Dooars of north Bengal. The BJP president declared in New Delhi that Jaswant Singh would be the party’s nominee for the seat.

Mr. Bose said that for the sake of getting votes, the BJP was trying “to create discord among people and divide them along linguistic, religious and ethnic lines.” Its decision would provide momentum to divisive forces that were trying to undermine the unity and harmony among the people of the hills and the plains in Darjeeling district.

Reiterating the Left Front’s resolve not to allow any further division of West Bengal, he criticised the GJM’s writ that parties opposed to those forces that supported the creation of smaller States would not be permitted to campaign in the Darjeeling hills. Only the Trinamool Congress, the Congress and the BJP were being allowed to do so.

Mr. Bose declined to comment on the candidature of Mr. Singh for the Darjeeling seat. “I do not know whether Mr. Singh will get a clean chit from the Election Commission to do so,” he said.

Morcha-BJP poll nexus: Jaswant for Darjeeling seat

KOLKATA,03 April 2009: PLAYING THE Congress against the BJP, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has come up winners, roping in BJP heavyweight Jaswant Singh for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat, having extracted a promise that the saffron brigade would consider the issue of a separate state of Gorkhaland sympathetically.

The Morcha brass had been after both national parties hammer and tongs for weeks, lobbying in New Delhi for all it was worth. It had held out the bait that it would support the candidate of either the Congress or the BJP depending on which party supported its statehood demand in the party manifesto. Given, that now the Morcha’s writ runs in the hills of Darjeeling, it is in a position to call the electoral shots. It has promised support to the BJP’s candidates in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar in North Bengal as well, which is home to a large number of Nepali speaking people. Again Jaswant Singh being a former Indian Army officer is likely to garner support from Gorkha soldiers and former servicemen. The BJP, which is not much of a political force in West Bengal, is likely to increase its presence in the state, especially in North Bengal with the help of the Morcha.

The Morcha has also promised support to saffron candidates in Northeast India, particularly Assam which has large sections of Nepali speaking voters. In fact Gurung was in Assam mobilizing support before he flew to New Delhi and met BJP Prime Ministerial candidate LK Advani at his residence to seal the ‘Jaswant deal’. Gurung was said to have insisted that the BJP field a real heavyweight. This was obviously to ensure that the BJP does not go back on its assurance of considering the statehood demand sympathetically in the event of its coming to power at the Centre. The Morcha on its part has spared no effort to woo the BJP, aware that the party is in favour of smaller states as it has reaped dividends from the formation of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand.

The Morcha president Gurung was said to be “satisfied” with the assurance from the BJP brass that it would “pursue” the Gorkhaland cause, media reports said. The Morcha also tried to impress upon the BJP leadership that it could influence the poll outcome in at least 10 seats in the country.

For the last one and-a- half months, the Morcha has been pitting the Congress against the BJP. It met leaders including Advani at a dinner party and broached the subject of support, should the BJP support its cause. Not getting adequate response at that juncture, it then approached the AICC member in-charge of West Bengal Keshav Rao, offering to support the Congress candidate in return for some sort of assurance to the statehood demand.

But the hill leaders increasingly began to realize that the Congress would not play ball. In fact the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee made it clear some time ago in the foothill town of Siliguri in North Bengal that there was no question of dividing Bengal. The BJP then sat up and began to wonder how to mention the Gorkhaland issue in its manifesto without making a commitment and get the Morcha’s support. It has now decided to consider the demand “with sympathy”. For both the Morcha and the BJP it has worked out to be a rather cosy arrangement as of now.

The BJP had announced its candidate for the Darjeeling seat, in former IPS officer Dawa Sherpa but he has not filed his nomination yet.

BJP fields candidate against former ally Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Mar 13: The BJP today fielded a candidate against Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, an erstwhile ally in the past Lok Sabha election in West Bengal. State BJP Mahila Morcha president Jyotsna Banerjee has been pitted against the TC chief in the prestigious Kolkata South constituency.

Former union minister Tapan Sikdar, who had rejoined the party last week in the presence of BJP & Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani, was renominated from Dum Dum constituency, which he had won twice in 1998 and 1999, a party release said.

Sikdar had lost the 2004 Lok Sabha election from the seat. BJP had earlier announced that its state president and former union minister Satyabrata Mukherjee would contest from Krishnangar in Nadia district.

Our doors are still open for Mamata: BJP

Kolkata, Feb 11 : Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee is inching towards an alliance with the Congress in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha polls, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has still kept its doors open for its former ally.“We want an alliance with her. We have kept our doors open. But it is for Banerjee to decide,” state BJP president Satya Brata Mukherjee told mediapersons.

A day after Banerjee said she had not attended meetings of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) for the last four years, the Congress Tuesday withdrew its candidate from the Bishnupur West assembly constituency of South 24 Parganas district which is slated to go for a by-election Feb 26.

The Congress decision paved the way for a straight fight between the state’s ruling Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Trinamool and brightened the prospects for a Lok Sabha poll tie-up between the two opposition forces. But Mukherjee said anything was possible. “If she is sincere in fighting the CPI-M, then she should stay away from the Congress, which will again join forces with the Marxist party after the polls.”

Asked how the BJP would fare without an alliance with the Trinamool in the state, Mukherjee said: “Well, neither Trinamool nor the CPI-M is going to form the government at the centre. The choice is between the BJP and the Congress. We will tell people how miserably the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has fared on all fronts.

“We will also remind the people about our stint in power. I am sure people of this politically conscious state will take the right decision,” said the former union minister. The BJP drew a blank in the state during the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, where it fought alone. Earlier, fighting in alliance with the Trinamool, the BJP got one seat in 1998, and doubled the number of MPs from the state in the 1999 mid-term elections.

On whether former union minister and former MP Tapan Sikdar, now expelled from the BJP, would be given the ticket from his old constituency Dum Dum, Mukherjee said: “This decision has to be taken by our national leadership. But he is yet to rejoin the party.” The Lok Sabha elections are due in April-May.