Talking to reporters at his office in Bhatpara area of Barrackpur in North 24 Parganas district, Singh said, “It is my fundamental right to contest elections. They are keeping an eye on my each movement. Who is coming to meet me…they are not even leaving my purohits. The TMC is using the police to monitor everything I or the people around me are doing. In fact, the CCTV cameras have a sound tapping system. Eighty two CCTV cameras have been installed near my home.”

Singh’s allegations come weeks after he quit the TMC and joined the saffron camp after he was denied a ticket from the Barrackpur constituency. He had said that the ruling party had “betrayed” him by denying him a ticket and instead fielding state minister Partha Bhowmick from the constituency.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee had justified the party’s decision stating that Singh was still a BJP MP on Parliament record.

Seen as a ‘strongman’, Singh has a string of criminal cases against him, including charges of corruption, attempt to murder, fraud, and rioting. He had earlier joined the BJP in 2019 after quitting the TMC and had defeated the then-TMC candidate on the Barrackpur seat. In 2022, he returned to the TMC following the party’s win in 2021 Assembly polls.