1. TMC to Back GJM’s Binay Tamang in Assembly Polls
Trinamool will support the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s Binay Tamang group in the 2021 Assembly elections, Mamata Banerjee declared on Friday and suggested she was not interested in “interfering” in the politics of the hills.
Campaigning in Darjeeling and Kurseong on Thursday and Friday, the chief minister made it clear she wanted the support of the Morcha faction to ensure Narendra Modi was voted out as prime minister.
“I have not come to the hills seeking votes for Trinamool in the past seven years. Yes, I did come here once for Bhaichung Bhutia (TMC candidate from Darjeeling in 2014),” the chief minister said in Kurseong on Friday.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Nota Mix-Up Fear Grips Trinamool in Darjeeling
Two EVMs will be used in the Darjeeling constituency, one with Trinamool candidate Amar Singh Rai and the other with Nota at the top, sparking fears in the party that this may confuse voters and lead to a mix-up.
The number one slot seems to be bothering chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s Binay Tamang group, which is backing Rai.
There are 16 candidates in the fray and each EVM has 16 slots. This means the none-of-the-above (Nota) option will occupy the number one slot in the second EVM.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Ointment on Scratches, Sunburn Prompts Mimi to Put on Gloves
Actor-turned-politician Mimi Chakraborty became the centre of social media trolling on Friday after a photograph of her wearing gloves while shaking hands with people went viral. In the photograph taken on a cellphone, the Trinamool candidate from Jadavpur is seen wearing a pair of beige gloves while sitting in the front seat of a car and shaking her right hand with two persons through the window.
Speaking to TOI, Chakraborty said she was shocked by the mean attack and argued that the photograph was taken when she was returning home in her own car after a campaign at Sonarpur on Thursday morning. She said she had applied some ointment to heal scratches and burns she had sustained over the past few weeks and had covered her hands to ensure the medicine did not smudge.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. BJP Candidate’s Sit-in Against Cop ‘High-Handedness’
The Mukundapur area on the eastern fringes of the city witnessed high drama on Friday morning with the BJP nominee from Jadavpur parliamentary constituency, Anupam Hazra, alleging that the local police had stopped him from meeting his supporters and interacting with party workers. The irate former MP (who earlier represented Bolpur on a Trinamool ticket) and BJP supporters then sat in front of the Purba Jadavpur police station, protesting against police “high-handedness”. The blockade was lifted close to noon after assurances from senior officers who spoke to Hazra.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. SC Lets BJP Leader File Nomination in Bankura
The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Bishnupur BJP nominee Saumitra Khan to enter Bankura for a day and file his nomination papers in the SDO office.
Khan told TOI he would file his nomination on 16 April. Expressing happiness at the order, he said: “Trinamool Congress brought false allegations against me and thought they could score a goal in an empty field even in a Lok Sabha election, like they did during last year’s panchayat polls. My wife Sujata has launched a campaign on my behalf and has received support across Bishnupur. I am confident of victory.”
He added: “On the directive of the Supreme Court, I will submit a prayer before the Calcutta High Court to enter Bankura and campaign full-time in person.”
(Source: The Times of India)
6. At 90, a Campaign for The Right to Vote Without Fear
Ninety-year-old Rani Kar walked out of her Raiganj home and joined a human chain with hundreds of others on Friday, demanding free, fair and safe elections.
The nonagenarian, who is the widow of Jatindranath Kar, one of the prominent freedom fighters of North Dinajpur, has also written to the district administration seeking security for voters in the 18 April polls for the Raiganj seat. The 2,000 people in the chain held up banners demanding safe elections.
(Source: The Telegraph)
7. Flouting NGT Ban, Chaiti Chhath Caused Damage to Lake: Activists
Celebration of Chaiti Chhath at the lake over the past two days, in complete violation of the National Green Tribunal prohibition, caused widespread damage to the green zone, environmentalists said. Though the number of people who converged on Rabindra Sarobar was much fewer than that on the bigger Chhath held after the puja, the devotees on Friday held pujas and yajnas, bathed in the lake and washed their clothes, harming the environment, green activists said.
After the evening rituals on Thursday, the devotees started streaming to the lake again on Friday morning, from around 4:30 am.
(Source: The Times of India)
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