1. Who Is Your Trinamool Candidate In Bengal
Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday unwrapped a list of surprises with multiple messages and a couple of star faces that she showcased with a clincher: “Je randhe se chul-o bandhe (a person can be adept at multiple tasks).”
The chief minister was responding to a question on what would happen to Tollywood after she included two popular actresses, Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty, in the Trinamul list of 42 candidates in Bengal.
Mimi will contest from the Jadavpur Lok Sabha seat, from where Mamata had launched her spectacular run in electoral politics by defeating CPM veteran Somnath Chatterjee in 1984. Nusrat will be fielded in Basirhat.
Attention was focused on the two because of their career that has made them household names in Bengal. But several political messages were sent by Mamata.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Bar Set Higher With Over 40% Tickets To Women
The Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Tuesday set the bar higher by naming 17 women — over 40% — in its list of 42 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. In the outgoing Lok Sabha, 35% of its MPs were women.
“Today I am extremely happy. This has never been achieved in India. While other parties are only talking about 33% reservation for women, Trinamool Congress has not only implemented this, but raised the bar higher. Today, we are declaring 40.5% women candidates and we just hope other parties emulate this,” the chief minister said while releasing the list of candidates at her Kalighat home.
(Source: The Times Of India)
3. Mamata ‘Surprise’ For Slain MLA’s Wife
Rupali Biswas, widow of slain Trinamul MLA Satyajit Biswas, was surprised when a senior party leader from the district asked for her biodata a few days ago.
On Tuesday Rupali, whose husband was shot dead on February 9, saw on TV Mamata Banerjee announcing her name as the party’s Lok Sabha candidate for Ranaghat. A family member said Rupali, 25, “broke down” after hearing the news. Satyajit was the MLA from Nadia’s Krishnaganj, which falls under the Ranaghat Lok Sabha seat.
“I had no idea the party was considering me as a candidate. I am yet to get over the tragedy that struck me last month. I am indebted to Mamata Banerjee for the love and respect they have shown to my husband,” Rupali, who has a toddler son, said.
(Source: The Telegraph)
4. Cooch Behar Trinamool MP Gets List Axe Over Feud
Sitting Cooch Behar Trinamool MP Partha Pratim Ray has not been fielded this time, his exclusion seen as the fallout of the leadership’s displeasure at infighting between the parent party and its youth wing.
Hours after Ray, the Cooch Behar chief of the Trinamul youth wing, was dropped, he said he would remain with the party and campaign for Paresh Chandra Adhikary, the new nominee who switched from the Forward Bloc last year. Paresh had earlier been minister in the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led Left government.
“I will abide by the party’s decision. I was in Trinamool, I am still in Trinamool and will remain in Trinamool. I will actively take part in the campaign of our candidate,” said Ray, who had won a 2016 bypoll after the death of sitting Trinamul MP Renuka Sinha.
(Source: The Telegraph)
5. BJP Draws Up Final List, May Include Newcomers
BJP leaders in Delhi, busy drawing the battle lines before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, are finalising the list of candidates for the 42 seats in Bengal, the first of which is likely to be announced in a day or two. Several new names, including those who were inducted recently, may figure on the list this time.
“The first list will include names of the candidates from five Lok Sabha constituencies in north Bengal. Party leaders in Delhi are finalising the list. If there is a consensus on the candidates, the announcement may be made by Thursday,” said a BJP leader on Tuesday. The party leaders had earlier indicated that the BJP would announce the names of the contestants for the 42 Lok Sabha seats after the Trinamool came up with the names of its candidates. Trinamool announced its list on Tuesday.
(Source: The Times Of India)
6. 77-Year-Old Returns Home Minus Left Arm After Three Weeks In Hospital
When 77-year-old Subhash Chandra Basu reached home on Monday after a three-week treatment at the hospital, it was a homecoming of a different sort. Left hand amputated after bus crushed it on 21 February, the former history professor will now have to start afresh, coming to terms with the new way of life.
“Rash driving has made me differently abled for no fault of mine. I felt helpless right after the accident. But now, I am sure there will be some way out. I will fight back,” Basu told TOI.
(Source: The Times Of India)
7. Armed With Drone Pics, KMC Cracks Dengue Whip
A Kolkata Municipal Corporation health team on Tuesday visited South City residential towers as part of an anti-dengue drive and cautioned the residents about stagnant water at certain spots in the complex. This is the second visit to the prime residential housing complex by the KMC vector control team in three months.
A few days back, the team used drones to find out mosquito breeding grounds in the complex. Based on the report of the drone survey, the team decided to visit the housing complex for the second time.
(Source: The Times Of India)
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