Kolkata, Sep 1 (IANS) West Bengal’s main opposition, the Left Front, Thursday pitted a woman candidate against state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in the by-election from the Bhawanipore state assembly constituency.
Lok Sabha member and Jadavpur University professor Nandini Mukhopadhyay will be contensting against the chief minister, who is seeking to enter the assembly, in the Sep 25 polls.
State PWD Minister and Trinamool Congress state chief Subrata Bakshi, who won from Bhowanipore in the April-May assembly polls, quit the seat to make way for Banerjee who will be entering the assembly for the first time.
Bhowanipore, however, is part of Banerjee’s Kolkata South Lok Sabha seat.
Alongside Bhowanipore, by-elections will also be held from the Basirhat Uttar constituency in North 24–Parganas, the Election Commission (EC) had earlier announced.
Basirhat (Uttar) fell vacant after Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) lawmaker Mostafa Bin Quasem allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the balcony of his room in the MLA Hostel. The Left Front had fielded Subid Ali Gazi this time.
Counting of votes for both constituencies will take place Sep 28, the EC said in a statement here. The last date for nomination is Sep 5. Scrutiny will be held Sep 6.
