Bengal bypoll: BJP candidate praises Mamata Banerjee, party replaces her

 The West Bengal unit of the BJP was left red-faced after former TMC MLA Manju Basu turned down the saffron party's offer to contest the upcoming Noapara assembly bypoll.

The BJP central leadership had announced Basu's name as the party's candidate for the byelection yesterday evening.Hours later, Basu told reporters that she is still with the TMC. "I am a loyal soldier of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee. I am still with the TMC and have full faith on Mamata Banerjee," Basu said. Later, the party named Sandeep Banerjee as the replacement candidate from Neopara assembly. Banerjee is BJP's Barackpur (rural) district president.

Sources in the BJP said Basu had given a missed call to the party's toll-free number to get a membership. There was no official announcement on her joining the saffron party.The two-time TMC MLA from Noapara assembly seat, however, chose to speak little on the matter and said it was her personal decision to decline the BJP's offer. "You can have offers from various political parties. But whether you will accept it or not is a personal decision." Basu, known to be a close associate of Mukul Roy during his stint with the TMC, was seen holding regular talks with the BJP in the past few days after being denied a ticket from the seat by the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

BJP has also named  Anupam Mallik as its candidate from the Lok Sabha constituency of Uluberia . Mallik is the party's Howrah (rural) district president. The by-election in the state is going to be held on January 29 and the counting of the votes will be done on February 1