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The BJP finally announced its candidate against Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the Lok Sabha election Tuesday, fielding its veteran leader Abhijit Das from the Diamond Harbour constituency in West Bengal. Das was the former president of the BJP’s South 24 Parganas district unit.
The BJP had earlier already named its candidates for 41 out of the state’s total 42 Lok Sabha constituencies, leaving the Diamond Harbour seat as the party leadership was deliberating about its face against Abhishek, the nephew of Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who is the TMC’s No. 2.
The Left Front, which has an alliance with the Congress, has fielded the CPI(M)’s youth leader Pratikur Rahman from the TMC stronghold.
Abhishek has been winning the Diamond Harbour seat, which largely spreads over South 24 Parganas district adjoining Kolkata, for consecutive two terms since 2014.
By fielding Das, the BJP is looking to use his organisational experience in the South 24 Parganas district. Das, known as “Bobby da” among the BJP workers, is considered a prominent face of the party in the district where the principal Opposition is believed to be on a weak wicket. Apart from being a political leader, Bobby is know for his social work.
Das, who has an RSS background, had first contested the Lok Sabha polls on the BJP ticket from Diamond Harbour in 2009, when he came a distant third.
The BJP had again fielded Das from the same constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when Abhishek made a successful debut, clinching the seat by garnering 40.31% votes while Das again came third securing 15.92% votes. The CPI(M)’s Abul Hasnat finished as the runner-up, getting 34.66% votes.
In the 2019 polls, the BJP did not give Das its ticket. Abhishek retained the seat by garnering 56.15% votes, defeating the BJP’s Nilanjan Roy by about 3.20 lakh votes, who got 33.39% votes. The CPI(M)’s Fuad Halim came a distant third in the election.
Commenting on his selection as the BJP’s nominee in the high-profile seat, Das said, “I thank the central and state leadership of my party for giving me this opportunity. This is a big responsibility which I will try to fulfil. The BJP is fighting against the TMC everywhere and there will be no exception in Diamond Harbour as well.”
When asked by reporters for his reaction on the BJP’s pick, Abhishek, while entering the city airport said, “Bhalo, bhalo, bhalo (Good, good, good).”
The Diamond Harbour seat goes to the polls on June 1 in the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Das had held various positions in the BJP-affiliated auto and workers unions in the past.
In 2018, Das had sustained head injuries when he was reportedly attacked and his car vandalised by some miscreants in Diamond Harbour. He had alleged that the TMC workers were behind the attack.
