Congress, Left Front extend support to toongate professor, another independent

The Congress and the Left Front on Sunday extended support to two independent candidates, including Jadavpur University professor Ambikesh Mahapatra put up by a rights organisation for the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls.

The two candidates - Mahapatra and Pratima Dutta - are backed by Akranta Amra, an organisation comprising activists of human rights under the Mamata Banerjee regime.

In a statement, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said the civil society has an important role to play to safeguard the interests and ensure security of the people in the state.

"So we appeal to all well meaning and democracy-loving people to elect Dutta and Mahapatra in the coming polls," said Bose.

Mahapatra, who was arrested for circulating emails mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, would contest from Behala East constituency.

Dutta, wife of murdered green activist Tapan Dutta, would be in fray from Domjur in Howrah district.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told the media in Baahrampur of Murshidabad district that his party will supprot both the candidates.

The forum has sought support from all the opposition parties including the BJP for its electoral endeavour.

Mahapatra, along with a neighbour, was put behind bars for circulating a collage of photographs of Banerjee and former railway minister Mukul Roy with some dialogues of Satyajit Ray's detective masterpiece "Sonar Kella", showing the duo discussing how to get rid of party leader Dinesh Trivedi, who was forced by the chief minister to give up the railways portfolio.

Dutta, who has been fighting for justice after her husband Tapan was shot dead in 2011 for opposing the filling of a wetland in Bally in Howrah, said the motive for her to contest the polls is to unmask the criminal-politician nexus.