West Bengal: BJP fields Sandeshkhali survivor Rekha Patra from Basirhat in LS Polls

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced the names of 111 candidates in its fifth list for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, including a woman who was a survivor of violence in the Sandeshkhali area of West Bengal.

BJP on Sunday released the list of 19 candidates for Bengal. BJP has fielded Rekha Patra from Basirhat, who is a resident of Sandeshkhali. It was she who first raised the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali and all three accused expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar are behind bars.

On her candidature from Basirhat, Rekha Patra says, "I want to thank PM Modi for the candidature (from Basirhat for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls). I will raise my voice for the Sandeshkhali victims..."

At the same time, the party has given a ticket to former judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who recently retired from Calcutta High Court, from Tamluk.

On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress has dropped MP Nusrat Jahan from contesting the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat amid the Sandeshkhali row. The party has fielded Nurul Islam in place of Nusrat Jahan

BJP leader Amit Malviya described the nomination of Rekha Patra as a powerful statement for the party, demonstrating that the West Bengal BJP stands with the women of Sandeshkhali and Bengal.

"The BJP has fielded Rekha Patra from Basirhat in Bengal. She is one of the victims of Sandeshkhali, who suffered at the hands of Sheikh Shahjahan. Let Mamata Banerjee wipe the tears of women like her, who are suffering in silence, and are subject to her apathy, before she asks for their vote. Strong statement that @BJP4Bengal stands with the women of Sandeshkhali and Bengal," Malviya said in a post on X.

On Rekha being made the candidate, senior BJP leader BL Santosh said in a post on X, "Rekha Patra, BJP candidate from BASIRHAT which includes Sandeshkali. She was the first to raise her voice against atrocities of @AITCofficial leader Sheikh Jahan & his accomplices."

The Lok Sabha elections in 42 Parliamentary Constituencies of West Bengal are scheduled to take place in seven phases, which will start on April 19 and conclude on June 1. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) secured 22 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 18 out of the 42 parliamentary seats in the state. The Indian National Congress (INC) was limited to only two seats.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) had a stronger hold with 34 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had only 2 seats. Communist Party Of India (MARXIST) CPI (M) won 2 seats. Indian National Congress (INC) secured 4 seats.

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