New Delhi:

Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra must overcome the challenge of Bharatiya Janata Party debutant Amrita Roy, the matriarch of a local royal family, if she is to win back the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat from which she was so controversially expelled last year. 

Rajmata (or Queen Mother) Amrita Roy was named Sunday in the BJP’s fifth list, which included quite a few surprises; actors Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil will contest Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi and Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, while Varun Gandhi has been dropped from UP’s Pilibhit.

The identity of Ms Moitra’s opponent in next month’s election comes days after the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a police case and raided her Kolkata home in the cash-for-query case. In response, Ms Moitra taunted the BJP for having not yet named its candidate for the Krishnanagar seat. 

The CBI came home & to my election offices today. Were very polite. Searched. Found nothing. Meanwhile @sayani06 & I still searching for BJP candidates against us . pic.twitter.com/njt8VXWnuH

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) March 23, 2024

Mahua Moitra, 49, eased to victory in Krishnanagar in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, picking up 45 per cent of the votes to finish over 60,000 ahead of the BJP’s Kalyan Chaubey.

Since then, the former investment banker has grown into one of the BJP’s fiercest critics, with impassioned speeches in Parliament, backed up by sharply worded jabs on social media, earning her run-ins with union ministers, saffron party leaders, and right-wing trolls.

Krishnanagar has been held by the Trinamool since 2009, when Tapas Paul took it off the CPIM, which ruled here unchallenged from 1971 to 1999. The Left party is unlikely to be a contender in this election, which will be a straight fight Ms Moitra and the rajmata, who is backed by the BJP looking for a big win over Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool.

The Trinamool re-nominating Mahua Moitra from Krishnanagar has been seen as an act of defiance to the BJP – a throwing down of the gauntlet after her hugely contentious expulsion on corruption charges.

READ | In Retaining Mahua Moitra As Poll Pick, Trinamool’s Defiant Message To BJP

The party took some time to come to Ms Moitra’s aid but has now rallied firmly to her side. Ms Banerjee has described her sacking “murder of democracy”.

For the Trinamool, Ms Moitra has emerged as one of the central figures in this battle against the BJP – a re-run of the pitched (in many cases) warfare that marked the 2021 state poll. 

READ | “Mahua Will Win Battle”: Mamata Condemns Trinamool MP’s Expulsion

Mamata Banerjee’s party is, on paper, a member of the INDIA opposition bloc. 

However, on the ground the Trinamool is contesting under its own steam; there is no seat-sharing deal with INDIA members, which, in Bengal, includes the CPIM and the Congress. 

Bengal has 42 Lok Sabha seats – the most after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra – and is, therefore, a key state for a BJP that wants to win 370+ seats on its own. 

A good score in Bengal – where it picked up 18 last time – is critical.

Mahua Moitra Was Expelled. What Happened?

A little less than four months ago, Ms Moitra was expelled on charges of corruption. 

READ | Mahua Moitra Expelled From Parliament: “Her Conduct Immoral, Indecent”

She allegedly took Rs 2 crore in cash and “luxury gift items” from a businessman – Darshan Hiranandani – to ask questions critical of the government in Parliament. She was also accused of sharing log-in details to her confidential account on the parliament website.

She has denied the bribery charges (but said she did share portal credentials, arguing it is common practice among MPs). The Supreme Court will hear this case in May.

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| Photo Credit: AP

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New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday alleged that attempts are being made to influence the witness amid the ‘Cash-for-Query’ row and urged the Lok Sabha speaker to take action.

“According to the information, Darshan Hiranandani and Dubai Didi (MP Mahua Moitra) are in touch. An attempt is being made to influence the witness @loksabhaspeaker to take action,” Nishikant Dubey said in a post on X.

Further, comparing TMC MP Mahua Moitra with former Congress MP Raja Ram Pal amid the ‘Cash-for-Query ‘row, the BJP MP said that the former was poor while Moitra was “friends with the rich”.

“There is a similarity between Mahua ji and Raja Ram Pal ji, who asked questions about money and was expelled from Parliament during the Congress rule in 2005. Pal ji was fighting against corruption of Reliance, hence he was expelled, Mahua ji Adani. Is this why you are fighting?” the BJP MP said in a post in Hindi on X.

सूचना के अनुसार दर्शन हीरानंदानी व दुबई दीदी( सांसद) सम्पर्क में हैं । गवाह को प्रभावित करने की कोशिश चल रही है @loksabhaspeaker को कारवाई करनी चाहिए

— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) October 28, 2023

Sharing a link that includes a letter dated back to December 2005, which was written by Raja Ram Pal to the Prime Minister’s Office about the corrupt practices of the then Power Ministry officials, Nishikant Dubey, who initially levelled the cash-for-query allegation against the TMC MP, urged everyone to read the letter to “know the nature of Mahua” and named her a “thief”.

“Read Raja Ram Pal ji’s letter and compare that with Mahua’s nature and signature. The BSP Member of Parliament Raja Ram Pal was regularly writing to the Prime Minister….Raja Ram Pal ji speaks Hindi, is poor. She is a thief, Mahua ji speaks English, she is friends with the rich, is she honest?” he added.

Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra has sought more time to appear before the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha. She has been summoned to appear on October 31 over allegations against her in the ‘Cash-for-Query’ scandal.

The TMC MP also sought to question the businessman at the centre of the alleged scandal, Darshan Hiranandani.

“It is imperative that I am allowed my right to cross examine Hiranandani, it is also imperative that he appear before the committee and provide a detailed verified list of alleged gifts and favours he allegedly provide to me” she said in her letter to Vinod Sonkar, Chairman of the Parliament Ethics Committee.

On Thursday, Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai appeared before the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee to submit oral evidence on their allegations.

The BJP MP earlier wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, alleging the involvement of Mahua Moitra in the ‘cash for query’ scandal.

He claimed that he held evidence as shared by Advocate Dehadrai, which allegedly corroborates the charges against the TMC MP.

In response to Dubey’s letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Trinamool MP had said she would welcome a probe by the Speaker after he had dealt with alleged breaches of privilege by other BJP MPs.

New Delhi:

The Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday on the “cash for query” allegation against TMC MP Mahua Moitra, with BJP parliamentarian and the complainant Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai scheduled to record their statements.

In his complaint to Speaker Om Birla, Mr Dubey has cited documents shared by Dehadrai. Mr Birla has referred the matter to the committee headed by BJP MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar.

Mr Dubey said the advocate, once close to Moitra before having a fallout, has shared “irrefutable evidence of bribes exchanged” between her and businessman Darshan Hiranandani to target the Adani Group and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Oral Evidence of Shri Jai Anant Dehadrai, Advocate in respect of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by Dr. Nishikant Dubey, MP against Smt. Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament. Oral evidence of Dr. Nishikant Dubey, MP, in respect of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by him against Smt. Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament,” the panel’s schedule for Thursday said.

The fiery TMC member has dismissed the charges as a “jilted ex’s lies”.

In his letter to the Speaker, Mr Dubey said 50 of 61 questions she asked in Lok Sabha till recently were focused on the Adani Group.

In a signed affidavit, Hiranandani, the CEO of real estate-to-energy eponymous group who allegedly paid her to raise questions in Parliament, has admitted that the TMC leader targeted Gautam Adani to “malign and embarrass” Prime Minister Modi whose impeccable reputation gave opposition no opportunity to attack him. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

New Delhi:

A Trinamool Congress spokesperson’s remark, saying the party will not comment on the Mahua Moitra case, has drawn a sharp response from the BJP. The BJP has questioned if Trinamool’s silence means that it accepts the serious allegations against the Krishnanagar MP or indicates that the party has “something to hide”.

Ms Moitra has been accused of receiving Rs 2 crore in cash from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in parliament. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking an investigation into allegations that Ms Moitra received bribes from the businessman and also shared her parliament login credentials. The Trinamool MP has trashed the allegations.

#WATCH | West Bengal | Allegations of bribery against TMC MP Mahua Moitra: TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh says, “…No comments…Regarding this issue, the TMC will not say anything… The related person may answer this, not the TMC party…” pic.twitter.com/uIqFZSeDE1

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2023

The Trinamool leadership has been silent on the allegations against its MP so far. Asked about the matter, Trinamool spokesperson and West Bengal general secretary Kunal Ghosh yesterday refused to comment. “No comments. Regarding this issue, the All India Trinamool Congress will not say a word. We have nothing to say. The person (Ms Moitra) may explain or answer the issue. We are observing the issue and gathering information, but we don’t want to comment now,” Mr Ghosh told news agency ANI.

The BJP latched on to the Trinamool spokesperson’s remark and fielded several questions to the Mamata Banerjee-led party that is among the key players in the Opposition bloc INDIA that plans to take on the BJP in the 2024 general election.

TMC’s official stand on Mahua Moitra is that “We won’t comment. Said MP will defend herself”

Does it mean

1)TMC accepts Mahua Moitra has made serious breaches including giving her log in to be operated from foreign soil by a rival corporate entity in exchange for kickbacks ?…

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) October 22, 2023

“TMC’s official stand on Mahua Moitra is that ‘We won’t comment. Said MP will defend herself’. Does it mean: 1)TMC accepts Mahua Moitra has made serious breaches including giving her log in to be operated from foreign soil by a rival corporate entity in exchange for kickbacks? 2) If so, then why is TMC still retaining her rather than sacking her?” BJP’s national spokesperson Shehzad Poonwalla asked in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The BJP spokesperson also asked if the Trinamool is afraid of acting against Ms Moitra “because the party itself has something to hide”. “Perhaps people in the party knew or endorsed it? TMC must clarify,” he added.

It is not surprising that Mamata Banerjee has abandoned Mahua Moitra. She will defend no one else but Abhishek Banerjee, who is no less delinquent… Several TMC leaders are in jail on serious corruption and criminal charges but Mamata Banerjee has maintained radio silence.

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 21, 2023

Earlier, senior BJP leader and co-incharge of its Bengal operations Amit Malviya had said it was no surprise that Mamata Banerjee has “abandoned” Ms Moitra. “She will defend no one else but Abhishek Banerjee, who is no less delinquent… Several TMC leaders are in jail on serious corruption and criminal charges but Mamata Banerjee has maintained radio silence,” he posted on X yesterday.

Mr Dubey, BJP MP from Godda, has also sought a Lokpal probe against the Trinamool MP. He has said he is in possession of a letter by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai detailing “disturbing facts with detailed proof”. “In the letter, Mr Dehadrai provides in great detail how, when and where Ms Moitra received bribes from a businessman Sh Darshan Hiranandani,” the BJP MP’s complaint said.

Darshan Hiranandani has claimed in an affidavit that Ms Moitra made frequent asked him for various favours, including expensive luxury items. The businessman also alleged hat the MP had given him her parliament login credentials and that she saw attacking the Adani Group as a way to become famous.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

New Delhi:

The BJP on Friday intensified its attack on Mahua Moitra over allegations of she taking bribes for raising questions in Parliament, demanding that either the TMC leader should step down as MP or TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee “sack” her.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the allegations against Mahua Moitra indicated a “complete compromise of the parliamentary system”.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey sought to draw the attention of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to the developments in the matter, insisting that an “immediate action is necessary on this”.

The TMC remained silent on the issue.

Darshan Hiranandani, the CEO of real estate-to-energy group Hiranandani, who allegedly paid Mahua Moitra to raise questions in Parliament about Adani Group, on Thursday said she targeted Gautam Adani to “malign and embarrass” Prime Minister Narendra Modi whose “impeccable reputation” gave opposition no opportunity to attack him.

In a signed affidavit, a copy of which was reviewed by the PTI, Darshan Hiranandani admitted at using Mahua Moitra’s Parliamentary login to ask questions targeting Adani after state-owned behemoth Indian Oil Corporation booked capacity at the Gujarat-based conglomerate’s Dhamra LNG import facility in Odisha and not at his firm’s planned facility.

Vinod Sonkar, the chairman of Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, said he has received the sworn-in affidavit from Darshan Hiranandani.

Reacting to the developments, Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X, “In light of the serious allegations, made on affidavit not by one but two key individuals and stakeholders in the entire Mahua Moitra affair, indicating a complete compromise of the parliamentary system.” This also indicates “a larger compromise of parliamentary ethics, quid pro quo, alleged corruption, conspiracy against larger economic national interests and also illegality with respect to sharing of parliamentary logins,” the BJP spokesperson charged.

“The said MP – Mahua Moitra should step down as MP pending enquiry, given the higher ethical & moral standards she herself sets for the world or else Mamata Didi & TMC (which has been an ostrich in this entire issue) must sack her asap (as soon as possible),” he added.

In a post on X, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey said immediate action is necessary in the matter, tagging the Lok Sabha speaker in his post.

“The way the TMC MP is trying to influence the whistleblower of corruption. Jai Anant Dehadrai… The MP’s lawyer accepted in the Delhi High Court today that this is ‘chori aur seenajori’. Immediate action is necessary on this @loksabhaspeaker,” Nishikant Dubey wrote.

Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra has raised questions over the credibility of Hiranandani’s affidavit, alleging that it was “drafted by the PMO” and he was forced to sign it after being “threatened” with “total shut down” of his family’s businesses.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) held a “proverbial gun” to DarshanHiranandani and his father’s heads and gave them 20 minutes to sign this “letter”, Mahua Moitra claimed in a statement issued on Thursday night.

Targeting the Modi government on the issue, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked why the BJP-led Centre goes into panic mode when an issue or a question is raised against a “particular industrialist”. He demanded a discussion and probe into “this also”.

“It is necessary to have a discussion on this also. There should be an inquiry into this also,” he told reporters.

The Congress MP said members of Parliament are representatives of people and being so, they “try to raise” questions in Parliament, no matter from where they get those questions.

“If the government has the answer, it can say yes, and if not it can say no,” he said.

“But I have never seen the constitution of an Ethics Committee so swiftly…and all the probes and investigations begin. It may be possible that the government has some different kind of interest on this issue,” he said.

“Action had been taken against Rahul Gandhi after he raised questions on wealth accumulation of a particular industrialist,” he charged.

In his reaction, JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said the matter is with the Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee which will take an appropriate decision.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)