Separate 'missing' posters of BJP MLA, TMC MP surface in Asansol

BJP MLA from Asansol-South Agnimitra Paul was on Friday declared "missing" in posters put up in parts of her Assembly segment, hours after similar ones targeting TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha surfaced in some other pockets of the Lok Sabha constituency there.

A police officer, confirming the development, said steps were being taken to remove the posters.

A poster in Hindi claiming that the actor-turned-MP, who clinched the Asansol seat for the TMC earlier in the year, was "missing" from his constituency ahead of the Chhath festival had first popped up on Thursday night at Kulti Station Road area.

It was undersigned by 'Bihari Samaj'.

On Friday morning, similar posters were spotted in Gopalpur area of Asansol-South, stating that BJP legislator Agnimitra Paul "was missing in the run to the Chhath festival."

"Some posters bearing names of these two leaders have appeared in different parts of the Lok sabha and assembly constituencies, and measures are being taken to remove these," the police officer said. The officer, however, could not provide any detail about 'Bihari Samaj'.

Chhath is celebrated with fanfare in Paschim Bardhaman district's Asansol area, where a sizeable section of the population is Bihari.

Sinha, often referred to as 'Bihari babu', had defeated BJP's Paul to win Asansol in April.

Paul, a fashion designer-turned-politician, had bagged the Asansol-south assembly seat last year, defeating TMC's Saayoni Ghosh.

Both Paul and Sinha were not available for comments.

BJP Yuva Morcha secretary Bappa Chattopadhyay claimed that a faction of the TMC, "disgruntled by Sinha’s absence," indulged in such "mischief."

"It is true that Sinha had been missing for long... He did not turn up in the constituency for a single day amid the festivities in the past one month. A faction of TMC, disgruntled with Sinha, did this mischief," he said.

Chattopadhyay added that another faction of the ruling party, "embarrassed by what happened," then swung into action and "put up fresh posters declaring that Paul is missing."

"Agnidi (Agnimitra) is the daughter of Asansol. She visits her constituency quite often," the Yuva Morcha leader, also from the area, told reporters.

Countering the charges, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed that people in Asansol were getting all facilities and had no complaints.

"Sinha regularly visits his constituency. Those who put up such posters did it for cheap political gains," he said.