Wife, brother stake claim to Priyaranjan Dasmunshi's legacy

A comatose Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, former Information and broadcasting minister, is lying in Delhi's Apollo Hospital while his wife and brother are locked in electoral combat in West Bengal's Raigunj Lok Sabha constituency.

Deepa Dasmunshi, the sitting Congress MP and former minister's better half, and Satyaranjan Dasmunshi, his brother fielded by the Trinamool Congress, have both staked a claim to Priyaranjan's political legacy but without resorting to personal attacks.

Congress party heavyweight Priyaranjan was Raigunj MP and I & B minister when he suffered a stroke six years ago. In his place, in 2009 Congress party fielded Deepa who is now junior urban development minister. The hospitalised leader's monthly medical bill of Rs six lakh is borne by the union government.

"I don't know about others but I'm contesting the election to fulfil my husband's dreams for Raigunj. And he dreamt really big," Deepa told dna.
Interestingly, the sister-in-law and brother-in-law pitted against one another are running their respective poll campaigns from a common address – the Dasmunshi family home in Kaliagunj. They occupy different floors but the kitchen and cook are common.

"I won't utter a word against my boudi (sister-in-law) in public. That is not our culture. I have made it clear to Trinamool leaders," said Satyaranjan who Mamata pulled out of obscurity to take on Deepa, an uncompromising and vocal critic of the West Bengal chief minister.

To encash Priyaranjan's popularity, his wife and brother carry his photograph when they go canvassing for votes. Trinamool has allowed Satyaranjan to use the Congress leader's photo in his election campaign.