Chief minister-designate Mamata Banerjee is likely to contest from Behala East Assembly constituency in a byelection. Sovan Chatterjee of the Trinamul Congress, who is also the city mayor, won this seat defeating Kumkum Chakraborty of the CPI(M) by 48,173 votes in the recently-concluded Assembly polls. Ms Banerjee, who was on
Sunday elected as the Trinamul Congress legislature party leader, will have to be elected as member of the state Assembly in six months from the day of her swearing-in as the chief minister. Ms Banerjee will be sworn in as the chief minister at Raj Bhavan on Friday.
Besides Behala East, the other probable constituencies from where Ms Banerjee might seek her election to the Assembly are Bhowanipore and Nandigram, both seats won by the Trinamul Congress.
“Earlier, it was almost decided that Didi would contest from Bhowanipore in a bypoll but now Behala East constituency has appeared in the picture,” Trinamul Congress sources said.
Subrata Bakshi, the Trinamul Congress state president, has won from Bhowanipore, defeating CPI(M) nominee Narayan Prasad Jain by 49,936 votes. Ms Banerjee had decided that she would not contest the Assembly elections but if the Trinamul Congress won and formed the government in the state, she would seek her election to the Assembly from Bhowanipore in a bypoll.
“It was almost decided that Subrata Bakshi would resign to facilitate Ms Banerjee’s election in a bypoll. Ms Banerjee would have gifted her old lieutenant her Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat,” sources added. But the plan may be dropped because Mr Bakshi could get a ministerial berth in Ms Banerjee’s Cabinet in the state.
The prospects of Ms Banerjee’s being elected from Behala East constituency have brightened because the incumbent MLA would not be made a minister. Ms Banerjee has announced that he would continue to be the city mayor.
“We know that Mamata wishes to be elected to the Assembly from a constituency which falls under Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat. However, people of Nandigram also want her to represent them in the House. In fact each of our 184 elected MLAs is ready to resign to facilitate her election in a bypoll. Mamata alone will take the final call,” a senior Trinamul Congress leader said.