BJP nominee, out on bail with 56 criminal cases, files papers

KOLKATA: Arrested in the Vidyasagar statue vandalism case in 2019, BJP's Rakesh Singh filed his nomination on Thursday, the final day for submissions, from the Kolkata Port seat while carrying a portrait of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, a 19th-century social reformer and one of Bengal's icons.

The state govt had earlier informed Calcutta high court that Singh is a historysheeter and has 56 criminal cases against him in which he has been granted bail.

Singh, who was in Presidency Jail for five-and-a-half months, was released after the HC granted interim bail on April 6 to contest the assembly polls. Singh's election affidavit, which must declare all pending criminal cases against him, was unavailable on the EC website until Thursday night.

With rain playing spoilsport, Singh's much-hyped nomination procession featuring Suvendu Adhikari and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut had to be cancelled, and he was accompanied by family members and 12-15 supporters as he went to file his papers.

He said Trinamool govt had falsely accused him of vandalising Vidyasagar's bust. "My mother did not raise me to be a hooligan," said Singh, raising Vidyasagar's portrait above his head. "I will campaign from Friday and will reach every corner to prove there is no 'mini Pakistan' here," he added.

Singh faces no fewer than 91 cases. The BJP candidate said several established netas had even larger numbers of "politically motivated" cases against them.