Kolkata, April 8 – The BJP announced on Wednesday that Rakesh Singh would be its candidate for the Kolkata Port Assembly constituency, days after he received bail from the Calcutta High Court. This move has raised eyebrows in the political circles.
There were speculations that the Bengal BJP leadership could field him against the senior Trinamool Congress leader and Kolkata Mayor, Firhad Hakim, for the Kolkata Port constituency this time.
This speculation has been confirmed after the official announcement from the BJP. Meanwhile, as soon as his name was announced as a candidate, Rakesh has started campaigning door to door in various wards since Wednesday morning. He also offered prayers at a local temple in the Kolkata Port area.
It is worth noting that in August last year, BJP leader Rakesh Singh was accused of vandalizing the state Congress headquarters (Bidhan Bhavan) in the Moulali area of central Kolkata and smearing ink on the poster of its leader, Rahul Gandhi.
It was alleged that the attack on the Congress office in Kolkata was organized as a protest against comments made against the family of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Rahul Gandhi's election rally in Bihar last year.
However, Rakesh Singh had gone into hiding after the incident. The police registered a case against him under several sections, including the Arms Act, and started an investigation.
Based on the investigation, the police arrested Rakesh Singh from the Tangra area in September last year. Several of his followers were also arrested. Even the son of the BJP leader, Shivam Singh, was arrested by the police. Later, he was released on bail.
However, in October last year, Rakesh Singh and his son were arrested by the Kolkata Police for causing a riot inside a housing complex in the Kasba area of Kolkata. The police had also detained the minor daughter of the BJP leader over the same charge.
After his nomination as a BJP candidate, questions have been raised in political circles about Rakesh Singh being given a party ticket to contest the election, given that several criminal cases are pending against him.
