To fight or not to fight: Bengal BJP divided over Bhabanipur bypoll

Questioning EC’s neutrality, Dilip Ghosh asked whether it is the poll panel’s job to ensure that Mamata continues as Chief Minister

West Bengal BJP is in two minds on whether to contest the Bhabanipur Assembly by-election or to move the court against the bypoll being held. While a section of state BJP leaders including president Dilip Ghosh said that the party may take legal recourse, another section said that instead of getting into a legal battle, the party will contest the by-election.

Ghosh recently said that his party was consulting lawyers and may approach the court regarding the by-election. However, state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya on Monday said that the party will not file a case to stop the by-election. Bhattacharya has been maintaining this stand since the date of the by-election was declared by the Election Commission (EC) last week.

Ghosh has repeatedly pointed out that Covid-19 related restrictions are in force and public transport is restricted. “Citing the pandemic, Mamata Banerjee has suspended local train services and kept educational institutions closed. We are getting arrested even when holding political programs as per Covid-19 norms. But if she holds an election rally with 25,000 people, who will stop her?” said Ghosh.

Read more: 'Why only Bhabanipur': Bengal BJP furious over Election Commission's bypoll decision

Questioning EC’s neutrality, Ghosh asked whether it is the poll panel’s job to ensure that Mamata continues as Chief Minister.

However, state BJP sources said that party workers in Bhabanipur have been instructed to get the booth committees active and start reaching out to voters. They further revealed that instead of a celebrity candidate, the party is likely to field someone local to Bhabnipur and a prominent leader in the party organization.

BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari recently said that if the party wants he is ready to contest from Bhabanipur. However, Ghosh made it clear that Adhikari will not be the BJP candidate to face Mamata in Bhabanipur.

“He has defeated Mamata once. Now someone else will defeat her,” said Ghosh.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Ghosh scoffed at the TMC’s decision to start campaigning early. He said that even in the last Lok Sabha election TMC started campaigning well in advance, but still the BJP returned to power.

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