Cong, Left to back 'victims' of TMC's wrath

The Left-Congress combine has decided to support civil society members who have been “victimised” by the ruling Trinamool Congress in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.

From university professors to crusaders for rape victims, all have come together to fight against Trinamool, with support from the Opposition parties.

The first such candidate gearing up to file nomination as an Independent is Professor Ambikesh Mahapatra of Jadavpur University, who will be fighting Mayor Sovan Chatterjee of Kolkata from the latter’s home seat of Behala East.

Mahapatra has struck a deal with the Left-Congress combine that will provide him support, sources said. Interestingly, Mahapatra might turn out to be the candidate for a united opposition with sources in state BJP hinting they might also not filed anyone from the seat.

A chemistry professor, Mahapatra became a household name after being arrested for sharing a caricature of Trinamool leaders, Mamata Banerjee, Mukul Roy and Dinseh Trivedi in April 2012.

In a human rights violation case, a court order in 2015 asked the state government to pay Rs 1.5 lakh as compensation to the professor. The government, however, challenged the order with a division bench of the Calcutta High Court and the verdict is pending.

Mahapatra represents Akranto Aamra (We, the Oppressed), a group of people at the wrong end of Trinamool government’s affections .