Mamata to launch bypoll campaign today

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will launch her campaign for the September 30 by-poll in Bhabanipur Assembly seat on Wednesday with a meeting of TMC workers in south Kolkata, Trinamool Congress sources said.

Banerjee will seek election to the assembly from the seat. According to TMC leaders, Banerjee will address party workers and leaders of all the eight municipal wards in the constituency at an auditorium on Wednesday. “Mamata Didi will address party workers tomorrow (Wednesday) and give them direction on how to campaign and the issues that will be highlighted. There are strict instructions from the leadership that tomorrow’s meeting and the entire campaign will be held following COVID norms,” a senior TMC leader said.

The TMC on Sunday officially announced Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as its candidate for the by-election in Bhabanipur.

TMC’’s campaign in the south Kolkata seat is underway after the Election Commission announced the bypoll on Saturday following a request from the state government to avoid a constitutional crisis. Banerjee, who lost the election in Nandigram to her former protege Suvendu Adhikari, has to win this by-poll to retain her Chief Minister’s post.

The BJP, Congress, and CPMled Left Front are yet to announce their candidates for the bypoll. The bypoll will be held on September 30 along with the elections to Samserganj and Jangipur seats in Murshidabad district where polling could not be held during the eight-phase assembly election held earlier this year. The counting of votes will take place on October 3.