Trinamool Congress

"Big leaders in the Trinamool Congress do not want the party to expand beyond West Bengal. The party's committed workforce in Uttar Pradesh is being side-lined and attempts are being made to disintegrate the state unit," Rai told reporters on Tuesday. He, however, did not divulge his future plans. The infighting within the party will hit Mamata Banerjee's plan to have a stronger presence in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"I have no hesitation in admitting and acknowledging Prashant Kishor's role in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls. Because of his planning Trinamool Congress had won with such a majority. PK's contribution. The package with which he presented Trinamool Congress was a beautiful one. It was a perfect corporate package in the true sense,' Mitra said on Monday afternoon.

Taking cognisance in the matter, Special Judge CBI Sanjay Garg, said that there was sufficient material to proceed against the accused persons -- Vinay Mishra, his brother Vikas Mishra and the alleged kingpin of the case Mohammad Enamul Haque. As per the order passed on April 19, the court has taken cognizance of the offence under Sections 3 and 70 PMLA punishable under Section 4 PMLA.

"That is the reason why Trinamool was formed in 1998 with a group of erstwhile disgruntled Congress leaders, who were mainly opposed to the then state Congress President, late Soumen Mitra. Mamata Banerjee could, at that time, successfully fan the disgruntlement in the Congress, which, under Mitra's leadership, would never have been able to put a up a dominant fight against the ruling Left Front, especially the CPI(M)," Mukherjee said.

In the Ballygunge Assembly constituency, the BJP candidate, Keya Ghosh, finished third by managing only 12.8 per cent of the total votes polled. In the 2021 Assembly elections, BJP's Loknath Chatterjee not only finished second, but also secured 20.50 per cent votes. However, despite Trinamool's Babul Supriyo winning from Ballygunge, the party will ponder over its declining vote share there.

This is the first ever victory of a Trinamool candidate from Asansol since the creation of this Lok Sabha constituency. Although the final margin of victory for both the constituencies are yet to be declared by the Election Commission, figures available from the counting centres confirmed the victory of Trinamool in both the constituencies.

Till 12.30 p.m. on Saturday, Trinamool Congress candidate from Asansol, Babul Supriyo was leading by 10,851 votes from his nearest contender, CPI(M)'s Saira Shah Halim. However, the BJP candidate from Ballygunge, Keya Ghosh, who was at the fourth position after three rounds of counting till 10.30 a.m.

Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Krishnanagar in Nadia district, Mahua Moitra, said that consensual sex with a minor, i.e., someone below 18 years of age, is rape as per the law and a crime. She said this after visiting the residence of the minor victim and interacting with the members of her family.

Trinamool Congress leadership will also contact the chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states and urge them to be a part of a joint nationwide movement on the issues. Political observers feel that this initiative is prompted by Banerjee's long-term plan to ensure that her party plays a key role in forging a unity of the anti-BJP forces in the country. The bypolls in West Bengal will be conducted on April 12, and the results will be announced on April 16.

Immediately after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, Supriyo shifted from the BJP to the Trinamool Congress and also resigned as the Asansol Lok Sabha MP. In return, the Trinamool gifted him with the candidature for Ballygunge Assembly bypoll, which has been necessitated by the sudden demise from erstwhile party legislator and state panchayat minister, Subrata Mukherjee in November last year.