THREE INDEPENDENTS FIRM ON CONTESTING KMC POLLS, NOT WORRIED ABOUT ACTION

Despite warning of strict action against three independent candidates— Sachchidananda Banerjee, Tanima Chatterjee and Ratan Malakar— the trio has decided against withdrawing their nominations.

While Banerjee and Malakar will fight from ward numbers 72 and 73, respectively, under CM’s Bhabanipur constituency, Chatterjee is an independent candidate in ward numbr 68 of Ballygunge constituency.

Banerjee submitted his nomination on Tuesday. Malakar and Chatterjee filed their papers on the last day of nomination of Kolkata pre-poll on Wednesday.

South Kolkata District Trinamool president Debasish Kumar had said: “Fourth (Friday) is the last day for withdrawal of nominations. If the nomination is not withdrawn, the party will consider taking action against the independent candidates.”

Banerjee, a non-partisan candidate in ward no. 72, was considered among the CM’s ‘close ones’. He was made the chairman of Kolkata municipality after he won the pre-poll from ward number 60 in 2010. However, in the 2015 election, he lost to BJP’s Asim Basu. Later, when Basu joined the Trinamool, it did not go down well with Banerjee. Thereafter, Banerjee was not given any responsibility in the bypolls of Bhabanipur assembly.

This made Banerjee angry. Hence, he has stood as an independent candidate against Sandip Ranjan Bakshi, the brother of Trinamool state president Subrata Bakshi.

“Before I became a candidate, I informed Debasish Kumar, Firhad Hakim, Abhishek Banerjee’s office and the office of the state president. Madan Mitra, too, came to me on Wednesday and I told him my position,” said Banerjee.

He added: “I am not a member of Trinamool. So, there is no question of suspension or expulsion. I became a candidate by accepting the demands of the Trinamool workers of the area. Withdrawal of candidature would mean betrayal of staff. I cannot do that.”

Malakar, who has been a Trinamool councillor for 20 years, has pitted himself against Kajari Banerjee, the wife of the Chief Minister’s brother Kartik Banerjee. “I have not thought about withdrawing my candidature yet,” he said.

Chatterjee, the sister of later minister Subrata Mukherjee, said: “I am not against the party. The party could not nominate me. But at the request of the staff, I had to stand as an independent candidate. Even if the team takes action against me, I have nothing to do. There is no question of withdrawing the candidature.”