Tollygunge MLA Aroop Biswas will take on singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo on April 10 polls.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) has deployed actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan to campaign for its candidates in West Bengal for assembly elections. She is likely to share the dais with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her stay in Kolkata.
On April 5, the Samajwadi Party MP will campaign for three-time Tollygunge MLA Arup Biswas, as per an ANI report.
Biswas will take on singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo in the fourth of the eight-phased assembly election.
Biswas was elected from the Tollygunge seat in the 2011 and 2016 West Bengal assembly elections.
The development comes days after TMC supremo Banerjee wrote a letter to the Opposition parties urging them to “unite against the BJP’s assault on democracy and the constitution”.
The three-page letter written on March 26 was addressed to leaders, including Congress’ Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK’s MK Stalin, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray, Aam Aadmi Party’s Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BJD’s Naveen Patnaik.
Citing the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, Banerjee said the law had practically snatched away powers of a democratically elected government in Delhi while vesting them in the hands of the Lieutenant Governor, a nominee of the centre.
The BJP, which has rapidly emerged as the main challenger to Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress party in the hotly contested elections in West Bengal, has denied these allegations.
Mamata also alleged that the BJP government at the centre has been misusing CBI, ED and other institutions against leaders and functionaries of non-BJP parties.
Among other allegations, the letter said BJP wants to make it impossible for non-BJP parties to exercise their constitutional freedoms.
“Therefore, I strongly believe that the time has come for a united and effective struggle against the BJP’s attacks on democracy and the constitution. As chairperson of AITC, I shall work wholeheartedly with you and other like-minded political parties in this battle. We can win this battle only with unity of hearts and minds, and by presenting a credible alternative to the people of India,” the letter said.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly are being held in eight phases. The first two phases were on March 27 and April 1. Votes will be counted on May 2.
