Kolkata: Trinamool Congress lawmaker and Saradha scam accused Madan Mitra will contest the upcoming West Bengal Assembly Elections from Kamarhati seat.
Making him the first TMC leader to contest polls behind the bars, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced, “Mitra will contest polls from Kamarhati seat.”
Further hailing Mitra, the TMC chief said, “Once an MLA”, will “remain the MLA,” as per Indian Express.
Mitra was denied bail on February 26, when the Alipore Civil and Criminal Court judge, Siddhartha Kanjilal rejected the bail plea of the Trinamool leader stating that the nature of offence was serious and the larger interest of the society was involved.
He was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on December 12, 2014, for his alleged complicity in the multi-crore-rupee scam. He stepped down as the state transport minister in November, last year.
The Election Commission today announced a six-phase polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly.
Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said West Bengal will see balloting on seven dates despite a six-phase election: April 4, 11, 17, 21, 25 and 30 and May 5.
Zaidi said polling with be held for 49 seats in two rounds in the first phase - voting in 18 segments will be held on April 4, and for 31 seats on April 11.
As many as 56 seats will go to polls in the second round on April 17.
Voting will be held in 62 Assembly constituencies in the third phase on April 21.
In the fourth phase, polling will be held in 49 segments on April 25.
A total of 53 seats will go to polls in the fifth phase on April 30, and remaining 25 seats on May 5 in the last phase.
The counting will be taken up on May 19.
(With Agency inputs)
