Elections in our country come with a lot of drama and chaos. Circumstances surrounding a situation can be both funny and frustrating. India’s electoral politics also cannot do away with ‘parivarwaad’.
This year’s Lok Sabha elections, too, appear to be a show riddled with family drama, especially in West Bengal.
Recently, the news of former husband and wife Saumitra Khan and Sujata Mondal being pitted against each other from the Bishnupur Lok Sabha constituency grabbed attention. Khan is contesting from Bharatiya Janata Party and his erstwhile wife Mondal is holding the flag of the Trinamool Congress from the same seat.
Another family relation that has blurred the lines of connection is of a former son-in-law facing off against his erstwhile father-in-law in Serampore.
Three-time MP Kalyan Banerjee of the TMC will fight against his former son-in-law Kabir Shankar Bose who is contesting on a BJP ticket.
Whereas Banerjee is confident of retaining the seat, Bose is sure of putting up a tough fight against his primary opponent and former father-in-law.
“I have already done a hat-trick. This time, too, I will retain my seat,” said Banerjee, who has started to campaign for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.
Bose, who is a Supreme Court lawyer, has been actively involved with the BJP since 2019. He had contested the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, but failed to taste victory.
Bose was married to Banerjee’s daughter but the couple divorced in 2017.
“The battle is political and not personal. BJP does not believe in personal attacks,” said Bose.
Banerjee had courted controversy in December last year when he mimicked Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in the Parliament complex. He had also called for striking down “all political orders” delivered by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay in the SSC recruitment scam cases, alleging these were motivated by politics.
The TMC leader had made the demand when Gangopadhyay announced his intention to quit the judiciary to take the political plunge. The former judge eventually joined the BJP and will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Serampore will vote in the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 20, Monday. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
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