Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will contest the Assembly elections from Bhawanipor seat. In fact, Trinamool Congress leader Shobhan Dev Chattopadhyay has quit his seat while resigning from the post of MLA. After his resignation, Shobhandev Chattopadhyay confirmed that Mamata Banerjee will contest from Bhawanipor. Preparations are on to send Shobhanadev to the Rajya Sabha.
Vidhan Sabha seat has been the traditional seat of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but the Chief Minister had left this seat to fight Nandigram seat against Suvendu Adhikari in the Vidhan Sabha elections. After this, the party fielded Shobhandev from this seat.
However, after losing the 1953 votes to the Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram, Mamata would have to win the by-election to reach the Legislative Assembly again .
Just before the assembly elections, Suvendu Adhikary had joined BJP, leaving TMC. In the 2016 elections, Suvendu Adhikari defeated the Left candidate in Nandigram seat by a huge margin.
According to Article 164, ‘A Chief Minister cannot remain in the office of Chief Minister if he is not a member of the Legislative Assembly or Legislature of a State for six months.’
There is no Legislative Council in Bengal, so it is mandatory to win the election by filing nomination from any seat to Mamata Banerjee within 6 months. You have to become an MLA after winning the by-election.
