New Delhi: The political drama in West Bengal continues following elections as well. By-elections and the Narada case have been making headlines. Despite a massive victory in the Assembly election, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lost elections in Nandigram. However, Didi is all set to prove her mettle once again. She will contest the by-elections from Bhowanipore. On the contrary, her senior ministers are under house arrest in Narada case.
Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, sitting Trinamool Congress MLA from Bhowanipore, has resigned to clear the path for Banerjee. She had won from here in 2011 by-election and 2016 Assembly election. Her past performances imply that Didi has a stronghold on this seat.
Having lost from Nandigram to Suvendu Adhikari, Banerjee has to win this election in order to fix her seat in the Assembly and erase a black spot on her political career.
Amid all this, the Narada case has grabbed all eyeballs. Senior ministers Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, TMC legislators Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee are under house arrest.
The Calcutta High Court ordered for a house arrest after a difference of opinion split the two-judge bench on granting interim bail to these leaders. “There was a difference of opinion between acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee over the bail plea of the four accused. So, the division bench ordered that a large bench be constituted to hear the matter. Till then, the four accused would be kept under house arrest,” said Manishankhar Chatterjee, Subrata Mukherjee’s advocate.
The special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court had ordered a bail on Monday; however the High Court stayed the bail. The four leaders were hospitalised after complaining of illness on Tuesday. Hakim was admitted to Presidency Correctional Home’s hospital, while the others were in the state-run SSKM hospital. Currently they are under house arrest.
After the arrest of the leaders on Monday, Mamata Banerjee had asked the CBI officials to arrest her as well, said TMC leader Anindya Raut.
Banerjee performed a dharna outside the CBI’s office against the arrest.
This move by the Chief Minister led to a new controversy. To clarify her stand, Senior Advocate AM Singhvi told the High Court that the dharna outside the office was a means of democratic protest.
He said, “As it happens in democracy, there was protest by co-ministers, co-MLAs. But there was no hindrance to the CBI. The protestations are being used as an excuse by the CBI now.”
The TMC leaders have criticised the CBI by calling the arrest ‘illegal’ and ‘undemocratic’. The Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said, “The CBI didn’t inform us. If they have been arrested, it is illegal. The prior permission of the legislative Assembly Speaker is required, but was not taken.”
The TMC leaders have alleged that BJP is misusing its powers in Bengal. In response, the state BJP spokesperson, Samik Bhattacharjee has clarified saying, “The BJP has nothing to do with this.”
Covid-19, the Narada case, and byelections are a few challenges in front of Chief Minister Banerjee, even sa Bengal continues to grab the country’s attention.