Mamata Banerjee files her nomination for the Nandigram seat at SDO Haldia in Purba Medinipur on March 10.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed that Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee didn't disclose details regarding cases filed against her in Assam and West Bengal in her nomination paper. BJP's Nandigram candidate Suvendu Adhikari has approached the Election Commission claiming that Mamata Banerjee submitted the affidavit without mentioning about six cases filed against her. In his complaint, Adhikari said that Banerjee failed to disclose in the paragraph 5(ii) particulars of pending criminal proceedings against her. The BJP has now demanded from the poll body that the nomination of Mamata be forthwith rejected.
"Hon'ble (CM Mamata Banerjee) submitted nomination from Nandigram, I objected against it today. There are six cases that she has not mentioned (in the nomination paper). In 2018, 5 cases were filed in Assam, but she didn't mention them," Suvendu Adhikari said.
"Another case that is pending with the CBI, she didn't mention about that too. Her (CM Mamata Banerjee) foundation is based on lies, she is a liar," he added.
The six criminal cases that are pending against Mamata are:
1. Case no. 286/2018 under sections 20B, 153A and 198 of IPC at Geeta Nagar Police station, Assam
2. Case no. 466/2018 under sections 120B, 153A, 294, 298 and 506 of IPC at Pan Bazar Police station, Assam
3. Case no. 288-2018 under sections 121, 153A of IPC at Jagiroad Police station, Assam
4. Case no. 832/2018 under sections 120B and 153A of IPC at North Lakhimpur Sadar Police station, Assam
5. Case no. 177/2018 under sections 353, 323 and 338 of IPC at Udharbond Police station, Assam
6. Casr no. RS 01020008A0023/2008 registered by CBI, Nizam Palace, Kolkata
Mamata Banerjee is contesting elections from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district. She will cross swords with her former close aide-turned-bete noire Suvendu Adhikari.
According to the poll affidavit filed by Mamata, her net worth is Rs 16.72 lakh and she doesn't own any vehicle or property. Such assets owned by her were worth Rs 30.45 lakh before the assembly election in 2016. Her income for the year 2019-20 was Rs 10,34,370.
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Cash in hand with the chief minister is Rs 69,255 while she has a total bank balance of Rs 13.53 lakh which includes Rs 1.51 lakh in her election expenditure account. She also has a deposit with the National Saving Certificate (NSC) of Rs 18,490. The affidavit showed that her tax deducted at source (TDS) receivable is Rs 1.85 lakh in the financial year 2019- 20. She owns nine grams of jewellery worth Rs 43,837.
A voter of Bhabanipur assembly constituency in Kolkata, she received a royalty of Rs 930 in 2019-20. Banerjee has a number of books to her credit. The chief minister has no criminal case pending against her, the affidavit showed. She is an MA from the University of Calcutta and also holds an LLB degree.
Banerjee will contest from the Nandigram seat for the first time after relinquishing the Bhowanipore constituency in Kolkata, from where she had won twice. The TMC supremo has also rented a house in Nandigram for campaign.
Nandigram, the cradle of the anti-land acquisition movement that catapulted Banerjee to power in 2011, will witness her once protege Suvendu Adhikari taking on her on April 1, in the second of the eight phases of polling.
For 50-year-old Adhikari, the contest in Nandigram will be a fight for his political survival as he had vowed to defeat Banerjee by over 50,000 votes in the seat or quit politics. Adhikari won the Nandigram seat in the 2016 assembly election, while another TMC candidate emerged victorious from the constituency in 2011. He has declared net worth of over Rs 80 lakh. His movable assets are worth Rs 59,31,647.32 while his bank balance is Rs 46,15,513.32, including Rs 41,823 in his election expenditure account.
His income in 2019-20 was Rs 1,115,715.00 and his cash in hand is Rs 50,000.00, as per his affidavit. Adhikari also has a National Saving Certificate (NSC) deposit of RS 5,45,000 and insurance of Rs 7,71,165.
The former minister had quit the TMC and resigned from the assembly last year to join the BJP after having differences with the state's ruling party.
Elections in Bengal, poised to be a stiff contest between the TMC and the BJP, will be held in eight phases between March 27 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 2.
READ MORE: Mamata files nomination from Nandigram, sets up epic battle against Suvendu
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