After the rally, Partha Chatterjee said, “It (Nandigram incident) is a planned conspiracy. We are here to condemn the attack on our leader Mamata Banerjee.” Days after Trinamool Congress leader Sarala Murmu was fielded from the Habibpur constituency ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, the Mamata-Banerjee-led party has announced it will be replacing her in the constituency. The sudden switch comes amid rumours that Murmu is planning to quit the TMC to join the BJP after she was denied the seat she desired.
However, the party has insisted that their decision was due to Murmu’s “ill health”. Pradip Bhasker has been named as the new candidate from the Habibpur seat.
“All India Trinamool Congress would like to inform that the candidate for Malda District’s Habibpur Assembly Constituency (No. 43) Sarala Murmu had to be replaced due to her ill health. Pradeep Baskey will be contesting the upcoming Assembly Elections from this constituency,” an official statement from the party read.
News of Murmu’s switch to the BJP comes as a fresh blow for the TMC, which has already lost half a dozen candidates who either resigned from the party or jumped ship after not getting a ticket from the party.
(With PTI inputs)
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