Trinamool sends defiant message to BJP as it retains Mahua Moitra as poll candidate

Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha three months ago, has been fielded again by Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in a move seen as Contempt for the BJP. The Trinamool fielded her from Bengal’s Krishna Nagar, the seat she represents, thumbing its nose at critics who predicted the end of her political career after the so-called “cash for questions” issue.

Ms Moitra is one of 42 candidates unilaterally announced by the party today, underscoring the party’s feud with India’s opposition blocs.

The Trinamool was initially lukewarm in supporting Mahua Moitra over the so-called cash-for-cash issue, but threw its full support behind her after the incident snowballed and she was expelled from the Lok Sabha after an Ethics Committee hearing.

Party president and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed shock and called it a “murder of democracy”.

“She (Mahua Moitra) was not even allowed to express her stand. She was not even allowed to speak in self-defence. They did not allow her to explain her stand. This is murder of democracy. This is unjust ,” Ms. Banerjee had said.

At the time, she also congratulated the Indian Union for its strong stance on the issue. “We are fighting together. They stand with the MCA and the Trinamool Congress against this. Together we will fight against the BJP,” she said.

When Mahua Moitra walked out of an ethics committee inquiry meeting, claiming she had been subjected to “dirty questions”, she was joined by opposition MPs who were members of the committee.

Today’s Trinamool list underscores that friendly relations with the opposition are a thing of the past.

The party has nominated candidates from all 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal, without even setting aside two seats for the Congress party as per custom. Since coming to power in 2011, the Trinamool has never fielded a candidate from Berhampore, Adhir Choudhury’s constituency and Malda’s constituency.

This time seat-sharing talks failed, with the Congress demanding seven seats and the Trinamool preparing to offer just two, and Mamata Banerjee suspended her India membership, saying she would reassess the situation after the election.