After ex-IPS, BJP fields former pracharak as Birbhum ‘back-up’
Times of India | 26 April 2024
Kolkata/Suri: In a first in Bengal, two BJP leaders have filed nominations for the Birbhum Lok Sabha seat.
BJP had formally nominated former IPS officer Debashis Dhar from the seat. The second candidate to file his nomination — also on the BJP symbol — is Devtanu Bhattacharya, a former RSS pracharak.
According to sources, Dhar might face technical issues on his candidature.He had resigned as an IPS to contest the polls. To insulate the party from any last-moment glitches, BJP fielded Bhattacharya on Thursday, the last date for filing papers.
The scrutiny of candidates is going to be held on Friday and it will be clear if Dhar can contest or not.
Dhar was the Cooch Behar SP in April 2021 when assembly polls were on. CISF had opened fire on April 10, killing four voters in a booth at Sitalkuchi. Dhar was suspended by the state govt but he moved the Central Administrative Tribunal and the order was revoked.
In Sept 2022, the state government had initiated a case with Barrackpore Police under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which Dhar mentioned in his affidavit that the case was pending against him.
During her campaign in Birbhum on Tuesday, CM Mamata Banerjee targeted Dhar once again without naming him and reiterated how BJP was nominating “killers” as its candidates. Earlier, she had said that the state govt did not give any clearance as departmental proceedings were on against Dhar.
This makes the situation tough for Dhar. If his candidature is cancelled on technical grounds, BJP will have Bhattacharya so that it does not turn into a walkover for Satabdi Roy of Trinamoool, who has won from Birbhum thrice in a row from 2009.
Dhar said, “I have properly resigned and have been made a candidate. This is a technical issue.”
Former DG (railways) Adhir Sharma said: “Earlier, too, there were several IPS office- rs against whom proceedings were pending but they got elected as MLAs in Bengal.”