Trinamool Congress' Asansol bye-election candidate Shatrughan Sinha campaigned in the constituency with his wife Poonam and Trinamool national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday. Banerjee asked voters to consider this bye-election against inflation and teach the BJP at the Centre a lesson.
While there is optimism in Trinamool given Sinha’s seniority in politics and popularity in general in the constituency that has substantial Hindi-speaking voters, Ravi Shankar Prasad, former central minister and BJP MP who had defeated Sinha from Patnasahib in 2019 took a dig at the veteran filmstar, saying what guarantee is there that Sinha will continue to be in Trinamool till 2024.
Addressing a press conference in Asansol on Saturday with BJP’s candidate Agnimitra Paul, Prasad said that Sinha has been with three parties in a span of three years - he had left the BJP in 2019 to join Congress, and he recently joined Trinamool and is contesting the bye-election as a Trinamool candidate.
“Asansol’s election is happening in a unique situation. BJP’s two-time winner (Babul Supriyo, who resigned as BJP MP last year) has gone to the TMC. And the one I defeated in Patna Sahib has come to Asansol to fight. I want Asansol’s people to know that the BJP made the (present) TMC candidate an MP for 22 years. Two terms in Rajya Sabha and two terms in Lok Sabha,” Prasad said.
“In 2019 he left BJP and also criticised Modiji. He fought for Congress and got defeated by me. His wife fought on Samajwadi ticket against Rajnathji in Lucknow, and was defeated. His son fought in Bihar Vidhan Sabha, and lost to the BJP candidate. Now he has come here to contest…,” Prasad said.
“Three parties in threee years - in 2019 he left BJP and joined Congress, and then left Congress and came to TMC. I would like to appeal to the people of Asansol - what's the guarantee that the TMC candidate will remain in TMC till 2024? If there are three parties in three years, then the path is open for the future,” he added.
Prasad that people be allowed to cast their votes fairly. He said that the CRPF should manage each booth and the Election Commission should think in this direction. “What’s happening in Bengal… There should be free and fair election. Every booth should be secured with CRPF personnel present in strong numbers. Let the Election Commision monitor it,” he added.
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