The president of youth wing of the Trinamul Congress, Bengali film actress Saayoni Ghosh, is in the running for the party candidate for a possible by-election to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat after sitting MP Babul Supriyo left BJP
yesterday.

Though Babul Supriyo is yet to resign as MP of Asansol, the Bollywood playback singer has announced that he will submit his resignation in the hands of Om Birla, Speaker of Lok Sabha. Saayoni Ghosh, who is very close to chief minister Mamata Banerjee was the TMC candidate for the Asansol South assembly seat , but lost narrowly to Agnimitra Paul of the BJP.

There have been mixed reactions about the induction of Babul Supriyo in the Trinamul Congress yesterday. Trinamul leaders like Bidhan Upadhyay, district president and V Sivadasan welcomed him in the party and said that his induction will further strengthen the party in Asansol. They also expressed hope of winning the Asansol Lok Sabha seat for the first time.

District BJP convener, Shibram Burman, meanwhile, said that Mr Supriyo’s departure will have no effect in the party organisation in West Burdwan district. Subrata Mishra, BJP leader of Kulti said that the exit of Babul Supriyo will have no effect in the party and once again the lotus brigade will retain the Asansol Lok Sabha seat.

Two of the three sitting BJP MLAs of Burdwan West District – Agnimitra Paul of Asansol South and Dr. Ajoy Poddar of Kulti are candidates selected by Babul Supriyo. Mr Supriyo has been the MP of Asansol since 2014, and his exit has been a setback to the party before the upcoming civic polls.

After resigning as Union minister of state, Babul Supriyo has given up his Central paramilitary forces security coverage and the indications that he might join the TMC were there since the past few weeks when the state government deployed police forces as security at his home at Mohishila Colony in Asansol.

Speculation is rife that Babul Supriyo will become a Rajya Sabha MP in the seat left by TMC’s Arpita Ghosh and Saayoni Ghosh will fight as the TMC candidate for the Asansol Lok Sabha seat. The presence of Babul Supriyo , who is a good speaker will further strengthen the TMC in the Rajya Sabha, political sources feel.

The employees of two industries – Burn Standard of Burnpur and Hindustan Cables Limited (HCL), which were closed during the tenure of Babul Supriyo being central minister, are very unhappy. Speculation is also rife that BJP Mohila Morcha state President and Asansol South sitting MLA, Agnimitra Paul, could be the saffron party’s candidate in a bypoll in Asansol Lok Sabha seat.

The name of former Asansol mayor and Pandaveswar MLA, Jitendra Tiwari, who now stays at Kolkata, is also being floated