WB: BJP to move court over Bhabanipur bypoll decision, says party chief Dilip Ghosh

Kolkata: The controversy over the by-election at the Bhabanipur assembly constituency in West Bengal continued as state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that the party is thinking of moving the court on the issue.

The party is taking the opinion of the lawyers and then the final decision will be taken, he said.

Speaking to the media on Monday, the state BJP President said, "The state is not allowing local trains to ply. They are not allowing more than 50 guests in a function. They are arresting people who are congregating for some purpose and they are going for the election".

"This double standard cannot continue. Either they will have to say there is no corona in the state or they will have to suspend the polls. There will be a gathering of thousands in the election meeting of Mamata Banerjee. Is there anyone who can arrest them? They will only arrest Dilip Ghosh, Suvendu Adhikari and the BJP supporters," Ghosh said.

"We are taking the opinion of the lawyers and if needed we will move the court. This cannot continue," Ghosh who went to meet a BJP woman supporter in a private hospital in Bidhannagar said. The woman, who is a resident of Durgapur in East Burdwan, tried to commit suicide after she was humiliated when she went to take her vaccine on Sunday.

The election commission on Saturday announced the date for the by-election in Bhabanipur and elections in two other assembly constituencies - Samserganj and Jangipur in Murshidabad district. The elections in these three constituencies will be held on September 30 and the counting is on October 3.

The by-election at Bhabanipur from where chief minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting triggered controversy because the commission, in its notification, mentioned that the by-election in this constituency is being taken as a special case on the request of the government of West Bengal.

The commission deferred the polls of 31 other assembly constituencies across the country that are lying vacant because of the pandemic situation.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari raised the same issue and said, "There is no understanding between the Election Commission and the BJP. Will the Election Commission be able to explain why by-elections are not being held in 31 Assembly constituencies in the country? The state chief secretary Hare Krishna Dwivedi wrote to the election commission that if there is no by-election in Bhabanipur, there will be a constitutional crisis in the state. He can't write that. By-elections are not being held in six more constituencies. What complication is being created for that? We will make this an issue".