Hummingbird News Desk
KOLKATA, 13 MAR: A day after Election Commission of India announced the date of by-polls, Trinamul Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee has fielded Shatrughan Sinha for Asansol Lok Sabha seat and Babul Supriyo for Ballygunge Assembly seat.
The Election Commission of India yesterday declared that all by-elections across India will be held on 12 April.
Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee declared, “Happy to announce on behalf of the All India Trinamul Congress that Shatrughan Sinha, former Union Minister and famed actor, will be our candidate in Loksabha by-election from Asansol. Babul Supriyo, former union minister and noted singer, will be our candidate for Ballygunge Assembly seat. Jai Hind, Jai Bangla, Jai Ma- Mati- Manush!’
Political analysts feel that this was a master stroke by Mamata Banerjee. Miss Banerjee fielded Sinha for Asansol Lok Sabha by-poll eying 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Moreover, Asansol has an extensive areas of Hindi speaking people where Sinha is likely to be acceptable.
The Asansol Lok Sabha seat remained vacant after the then sitting BJP MP Babul Supriyo left BJP and joined Trinamul Congress. He also resigned from Lok Sabha.
Meanwhile, due to the death of the then state panchayat and rural affairs minister Subrata Mukherjee, the Ballygunge Assembly seat remained vacant.
Mr Sinha was Lok Sabha MP for 10 years from 2009 to 2019. Moreover, he was Rajya Sabha MP from 1996 to 2008. He was also a union minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. In 2019, he joined Congress and later he joined Trinamul Congress.
Meanwhile, political analysts feel that Ballygunge Assembly seat is a safe seat for Trinamul Congress. Miss Banerjee has earlier promised Babul for a plump post.
Party insiders said if Babul Supriyo is elected from Ballygunge Assembly constituency, he will be inducted in the state cabinet.
Babul Supriyo later told the reporters that he was extremely happy to be selected as a candidate from Ballygunge constituency. “I love Ballygunge Assembly constituency. I sincerely thank Mamata Banerjee and Trinamul Congress for fielding me as a candidate of prestigious Ballygunge Assembly seat.”
Tags: #MamataBanerjee #ShatrughanSinha #BabulSupriyo #Asansole #Ballygunge #ByPolls
