Mamata May Meet MP Jailed in Rose Valley Scam Case in Bhubaneswar

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee may meet jailed Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay in Bhubaneswar on April 18.

Bandyopadhyay was arrested on January 3, 2017 by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley group chit fund scam.

After his arrest, Bandyopadhyay was lodged in a Bhubaneswar jail and pleaded that he is innocent. Then Banerjee had then accused the Centre is using CBI and Enforcement Directorate to terrorize opposition.

Party insiders claimed that Banerjee is trying explore a ‘new front’ to take on BJP in Bengal and its neighbouring states before the next Lok Sabha election and Odisha state elections in 2019.

“Her decision to visit Odisha – two days after the end of BJP’s national executive meet – is very significant. She may have words with Odisha chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during her visit to the state. Also, didi (Banerjee) may meet Sudip da in jail who is not well. She will also likely to have talk with Sudip’s family members and will also address a party meet in a newly opened office in Bhubaneswar,” a TMC source said.

“Now BJP is desperate to get Odisha and Bengal in coming Lok Sabha polls and Assembly polls. This a political exigency for all the non-BJP parties and they should come together to fight against the saffron surge. I think Patnaik ji will not turn down meeting with Mamata considering BJP’s good show in the Odisha municipal polls,” he said.

After her meet in Bhubaneshwar, she will have a big organisational conference at Netaji Indoor Stadium on April 21 in Kolkata.

“She will decide next course of political strategy to take on BJP and right wing activists in Bengal. There will be a massive reshuffling during the organisational conference in district level. Beside that she will form a new TMC All-India Committee. It is expected that she will also raise the issue on why most of the TMC leaders in Tripura left the party and joined the BJP in recent months,” a senior party leader said.

Banerjee is also likely to announce new government schemes on minorities and scheduled castes during the meet.