Senior TMC MLA resigns to make way for Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: The resignation of TMC's Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, who won the West Bengal's Bhawanipur constituency in the recently held Assembly election, triggered speculation that the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who lost in Nandigram, would contest from there to be re-elected to the Assembly.

According to various sources, Mamata Banerjee, who lost to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, is likely to contest from Bhawanipur. Quoting sources from the party, an IANS report said that the party has decided Banerjee will contest from her traditional winning seat -- Bhawanipur in South Kolkata.

Banerjee had in the last two assembly elections contested and won from the Bawanipur seat but this time she decided to contest from Nandigram in East Midnapore against turncoat Suvendu Adhikari. Banerjee was, however, defeated by Adhikari.

Though Banerjee was sworn in as the chief minister of the state, according to the rule she will have to become an MLA within six months after the formation of the government.

Banerjee expressed her willingness to contest from Bhawanipur and so Chattopadhyay who is now the state agriculture minister has been asked to resign from that seat, IANS reports quoting party sources

Chattopadhyay, who submitted his resignation to Speaker Biman Banerjee in the afternoon, said that he had resigned following the party's decision. He is likely to continue as a cabinet minister and contest from some other seat.

The minister, however, didn't divulge other details saying that he would do whatever party will ask him to do.

Quoting sources, a PTI report suggests that the septuagenarian politician is likely to contest from Khardah seat, where a by-poll has been necessitated following the death of party leader Kajal Sinha.