Mamata can't expect votes from Netaji neighbourhood: Chandra Bose

KOLKATA: Chandra Bose, who is the grandnephew of Subhas Chandra Bose, said Mamata Banerjee can’t expect any support from voters in Bhowanipore, which is the ancestral ‘para’ of Netaji, as long as she continues to support “tainted” leaders.

“I completely agree with senior Trinamool leader Dinesh Trivedi that the leaders featured in the Narada sting should resign until their names cleared. And before that, Mamata doesn’t have the right to beg for a single vote in this constituency. Today the CM is being projected as the epitome of honesty. The video clearly shows netas taking cash. And she is parading them publicly. What signal is she sending out,” Bose told TOI. He is the BJP candidate pitted against Mamata for the assembly polls.

He pointed out while most of the leaders caught on the sting tape have flatly denied receiving money, “Chandrima Bhattacharya, a minister in the Mamata cabinet, has said it was a donation and not a bribe. So, she has admitted to taking money. Even that is a blatant violation of law as the amount runs up to lakhs of rupees accepted without a receipt”.

Bose, who is on campaign trail, took a dig at Mamata’s “simple lifestyle” by saying that one judged by action and not attire. “Tata Consultancy Engineering shifted base to Jharkhand, where BJP is in power. Tata Motors was put in such a position that they had to move the Nano project to Gujarat, again a BJP-ruled state. TMC is showing 60 videos on so-called development. Even dreams should have a limit. Where is this investment you’re so proudly showcasing,” he remarked.

On asked about being pitted against Mamata, he responded: “I’m very confident as people are fed up with all the previous governments — Congress, Left and TMC. It is not a personal fight. It is a fight to restore order. Once upon a time, we used to boast that women are safest in Bengal but now we hang our head in shame. We have dubious distinction of being one of the worst states in the country when it comes to women’s safety.”

He further lashed out at the Congress-Left alliance. “They are saying there would be some friendly fights in some seat. Is this WWE, which is a fake battle? Even RSP leader Promothesh Mukherjee has expressed his displeasure with this unethical alliance,” he told TOI. He said he has nothing against Deepa Dasmunshi, who is the candidate of the alliance in the same constituency, but added: “She is in the wrong party. Congress betrayed Netaji and the entire nation.”