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Several opposition leaders, including Trinamool <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="30" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> MP <keyword id="326914" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mahua-moitra" source="Orion">Mahua Moitra</keyword>, Congress leader <keyword id="272830" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pawan-khera" source="Orion">Pawan Khera</keyword> on Tuesday alleged that their mobile phones were being targeted by the Centre. In a post on X , Moitra said, "Received text and email from Apple warning me that the government is trying to hack into my phone and email. Home Minister's Office - get a life. Adani and PMO bullies - your fear makes me pity you." She also tagged Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedia and said, "Priyanka Chaturvedi, you and I and three other Indhave got it so far." Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi was to flag it on Monday night.In a post on X, she said, "Wonder who? Shame on you. Cc: Home Minister's Office for your kind attention." In another post, she tagged Union Ministers and said, "Kind attention Ashwini Vaishnaw and Rajeev Chandrasekhar." Khera, who is a Congress Working Committee (CWC) member of the grand old party too came forward and said, "Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this?" He also attached the screenshot of the message. The email titled "ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone. These attackers are likely targeting you individually because of who you are or what you do. If your device is compromised by a state-sponsored attacker, they may be able to remotely access your sensitive data, communications, or even the camera and microphone." "While it's possible this is a false alarm, please take this warning seriously," the warning mail read. The development comes ahead of the Delhi High Court hearing the defamation suit filed by Trinamool Congress MP Moitra in alleged cash for Parliament questions against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai on Tuesday. She has been asked by the Ethics Committee to appear before it on November 2. Moitra was first asked by the Ethics Committee to appear before it on October 31. Following the first summons, she sent a letter to the Ethics Committee Chairperson Vinod Sonkar saying that she will depose on any date after November 5 after her pre scheduled constituency programme ends and not on October 31. The ethics committee is probing BJP MP Dubey's allegations that Moitra accepted cash and favours for asking questions in Lok Sabha on businessman Gautam Adani at the behest of businessman <keyword id="221666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiranandani" source="Orion">Hiranandani</keyword>. On Thursday, Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai gave "oral evidence" to the panel against Moitra.

Mahua Moitra, Cong and Sena leaders allege Centre trying to 'target' their phones

<ul><li>A total of 34 <keyword id="43826" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trinamool-Congress">Trinamool Congress</keyword> leaders had left the party to join the rival <keyword id="58687" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatiya-Janata-Party">Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword>, but only 13 had got the ticket.</li><li>This included incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s top aide Suvendu Adhikari, who decided to contest her from the Nandigram constituency.</li><li>Trinamool Congress took a massive lead against <keyword id="14666" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> ensuring Mamata Banerjee’s return as the Chief Minister for a third consecutive term.</li></ul>Ahead of the state assembly elections in West Bengal, as many as 34 Trinamool Congress leaders had left the party to join the rival Bharatiya Janata Party. This included incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s top aide Suvendu Adhikari, who decided to contest her from the Nandigram constituency. Out of the 34 leaders, only 13 leaders had got tickets from BJP. However, out of the 13 leaders who had moved away from <keyword id="26422" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="TMC">TMC</keyword>, only four have managed to secure a winning stance. This included the very interesting fight for Nandigram, which ended with Suvendu Adhikari taking a lead in the constituency against Mamata Banerjee. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Constituency </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Won </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Party </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lost</td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nandigram </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Suvendu Adhikari</td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BJP</td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mamata Banerjee </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Krishnanagar North </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mukul Roy </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BJP </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Koushani Mukherjee </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Domjur </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kalyan Ghosh </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rajib Banerjee </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bally </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dr Rana Chatterjee </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Baishali Dalmiya </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Diamond Harbour </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pannalal Halder </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dipak Halder </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Singur </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Becharam Manna </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rabindranath Bhattacharya </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ranaghat Uttar Paschim </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Paratha Sarathi Chatterjee </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BJP </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sankar Singha </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jagatdal </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Somnath Shyam </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Arindam Bhattacharya </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Natabari </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rabindra Nath Ghosh </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mihir Goswami </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Manteswar </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chowdhury Siddiquillah</td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC</td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Saikat Panja</td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kalna </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Deboprasad Bag </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Biswajit Kundu </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pandabeswar </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Jitendra Tiwari </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BJP </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Narendranath Chakroborty </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Durgapur Purba </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pradip Mazumdar </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TMC </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.75pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.75pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Col. Diptansu Chaudhury</td></tr></tbody></table> Trinamool Congress took a massive lead against BJP ensuring Mamata Banerjee her return as the Chief Minister for a third consecutive term. There are 294 seats in the Bengal state assembly, the polling for which took place through eight phases between March 27 and April 29. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/mamata-banerjees-fate-in-west-bengal-assembly-election-results-2021-as-tmc-and-bjp-final-tally/articleshow/82347504.cms">Trinamool Congress is winning Bengal and now ⁠Mamata Banerjee is reportedly back in the lead in Nandigram</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/mk-stalin-and-dmk-expect-to-win-tamil-nadu-assembly-election-2021-against-aiadmk-led-by-edappadi-palaniswami/articleshow/82347573.cms">MK Stalin and DMK are leading in Tamil Nadu Assembly with 172 seats after staying out of power for 10 straight years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/check-out-leading-candidates-list-in-west-bengal-election-results-2021/articleshow/82353323.cmshttps://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/check-out-leading-candidates-list-in-west-bengal-election-results-2021/articleshow/82353323.cms">West Bengal election results 2021: Trinamool Congress takes a comfortable lead against BJP as per EC trends</a>

These 13 former TMC leaders got tickets from BJP – only four of them are leading

<ul><li>With the West Bengal assembly elections all set to begin on March 27, we take a look at all the TMC legislators who left the party to join the BJP.</li><li>Surprisingly, out of the 34 legislators who joined its ranks after leaving the TMC, BJP has given tickets to only 13 of them.</li><li>This includes heavyweights like Suvendu Adhikari, who was a close aide of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.</li><li>Some of these nominations have also caused anger in the BJP cadre.</li></ul>As the race to the West Bengal elections heats up, there has been a flurry of leaders from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) joining the ranks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The list of leaders leaving TMC for the BJP includes some prominent names like Suvendu Adhikari, Mukul Roy and celebrity-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty. The West Bengal assembly elections are scheduled to be held in eight phases between March 27 to April 29. In total, 34 TMC legislators have left the party to join the BJP – either due to differences with the party, being denied a ticket this time or due to the belief that their future lies with the BJP, not TMC. Surprisingly, out of the 34 legislators who joined its cadre, the saffron party has given tickets to only 13 of them. The most prominent names who have not been given a ticket include former member of parliament (MP) Dinesh Trivedi and actor Mithun Chakraborty, among others. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Here are the key constituencies where past TMC leaders are fighting for the BJP" comment="subhead" text="Here are the key constituencies where past TMC leaders are fighting for the BJP">Here are the key constituencies where past TMC leaders are fighting for the BJP</cmsannotation> Nandigram – Suvendu Adhikari vs Mamata Banerjee Nandigram will be the heart of the Battle for Bengal between the TMC and BJP. This is the constituency where the current chief minister Mamata Banerjee will have a face-off with Suvendu Adhikari, her former trusted aide and one of the main faces of the Nandigram movement. It was the Nandigram movement -- protests against the then government’s land acquisition efforts for a special economic zone (SEZ) -- that helped the TMC and Mamata Banerjee end the 34-year rule of the Left Front. Will this assembly election once again prove to be the end of another rule – this time, TMC’s? Time will tell, but it shows the importance of this assembly seat for both the parties. Krishnanagar North – Mukul Roy vs Koushani Mukherjee Mukul Roy, the former right-hand man of Mamata Banerjee, will be contesting from the Krishnanagar North seat. This will be Roy’s first election in 20 years – his last was in 2001 from the Jagatdal assembly constituency where he lost to Haripada Biswas. Roy will be contesting against Koushani Mukherjee, actor-turned-politician who joined the TMC in January, this year. Domjur – Rajib Banerjee vs Kalyanendu Ghosh Rajib Banerjee, former minister in Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet joined the BJP in January this year. He was elected twice from the Domjur constituency – in 2011 and again in 2016. He will be facing off against TMC’s Kalyanendu Ghosh. Bally – Baishali Dalmiya vs Dr. Rana Chatterjee Baishali Dalmiya was expelled from the TMC for speaking out against the party. She is the daughter of late Jagmohan Dalmiya, former cricket administrator and BCCI president. She will be taking on Dr. Rana Chatterjee from TMC. Diamond Harbour – Dipak Halder vs Pannalal Halder Dipak Halder, a two-time TMC legislator quit the party after speaking out for months against it. He said he was “not being allowed to work for the masses” since 2017. He joined BJP in February, this year. Dipak Halder and Pannalal Halder are not related to each other. Singur – Rabindranath Bhattacharya vs Becharam Manna Rabindranath Bhattacharya quit TMC earlier this month and is being fielded by the BJP from the Singur constituency, despite strong opposition by the party’s cadre who have accused him of getting them arrested when he was the TMC legislator. Ranaghat Uttar Paschim – Partha Sarathi Chatterjee vs Sankar Singha The 62-year-old Partha Sarathi Chatterjee was a former TMC legislator from Ranaghat in 2011. He lost the seat in 2016 to Sankar Singha, who fought on a Congress ticket. Interestingly, Singha has joined TMC and will be defending his seat this year. Jagatdal – Arindam Bhattacharya vs Somnath Shyam Arindam Bhattacharya, a lawyer by profession, will be fighting for the Jagatdal seat on a BJP ticket. He currently represents the Santipur constituency, but this year will see him switch to Jagatdal. Natabari – Mihir Goswami vs Rabindra Nath Ghosh Mihir Goswami, who currently represents the Cooch Behar Dakshin constituency, will switch to Natabari and fight on a BJP ticket. He will take on TMC’s Rabindra Nath Ghosh, who is the incumbent Natabari legislator. Monteswar – Saikat Panja vs Siddiqullah Chowdhury Saikat Panja is the incumbent legislator from the Monteswar constituency, which he won with an overwhelming majority in the 2016 by-election. He will be facing off TMC’s Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who is also the West Bengal president of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind. Kalna – Biswajit Kundu vs Deboprasad Bag The saffron party is fielding Biswajit Kundu, who joined BJP earlier this year. Ironically, Kundu’s nomination triggered a mass switch of 70 party workers to the TMC, who protested against Kundu’s corruption. Pandabeswar – Jitendra Tiwari vs Narendranath Chakraborty Jitendra Tiwari, a TMC heavyweight, joined the BJP after rebelling against the TMC leadership. His entry was initially opposed by BJP minister and popular singer Babul Supriyo, given that both the politicians had faced off in the Asansol constituency earlier. Durgapur Purba – Diptangshu Chowdhury vs Pradip Mazumdar Diptangshu Chowdhury, another senior TMC leader and former advisor to the chief minister, left TMC to fight on a BJP ticket from the Durgapur Purba constituency. Interestingly, Chowdhury was earlier with the BJP before switching to the TMC in 2017. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/mamata-banerjee-releases-tmcs-candidate-list-for-bengal-elections/articleshow/81347592.cms">Mamata Banerjee releases TMC's candidate list for Bengal elections</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/laxmi-organic-craftsman-automation-jubilant-foodworks-and-other-top-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-march-25/slidelist/81681409.cms">Laxmi Organic, Craftsman Automation, Jubilant Foodworks and other top stocks to watch out for on March 25</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/indian-millennials-are-taking-to-the-stock-market-as-the-bored-and-young-start-driving-markets-worldwide/articleshow/81676154.cms">Indian millennials are taking to the stock market, as the bored and young start driving markets worldwide</a>

34 West Bengal legislators went from TMC to BJP – only 13 of them got tickets to contest the election for the saffron party

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has swept the Tamil Nadu assembly election and reclaimed power in the southern state after spending a decade as the chief opposition party. However, the celebration may be slightly tempered due to S Durai Murugan's struggle in Katpadi. The party’s ‘unopposed’ General Secretary since September 2020, a close confidant of both the Late K Karunanidhi as well as the current party chief, MK Stalin, has never lost an assembly election from his home constituency of Katpadi since 1996. This time, too, he may have won but an embarrassing margin of 746 votes. One of DMK’s most-experienced leaders, the 83-year old Durai Murugan who has been with the DMK since 1954, has held the Katpadi seat for the party for the last five terms. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/tmc-candidates-arup-biswas-actress-june-maliah-and-sayantika-banerjee-leading-against-bjp-candidates/articleshow/82356507.cms">TMC candidates Arup Biswas, actress June Maliah and Sayantika Banerjee leading against BJP candidates</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/mk-stalin-of-dmk-leads-by-a-fair-margin-in-kolathur-tamilnadu/articleshow/82356363.cms">MK Stalin of DMK leads by a fair margin in Kolathur, as his party gets ready to take charge of the Tamil Nadu</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/final-tally-of-suvendu-adhikari-mukul-roy-rajiv-ghosh-and-other-ex-tmc-leaders-who-fought-on-bjp-ticket/articleshow/82354609.cms">These 13 former TMC leaders got tickets from BJP – only four of them are leading</a>

Katpadi King Durai Murugan has a close shave in a seat he has held since 1996

The 64-year-old K.K. <keyword id="4890" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shailaja">Shailaja</keyword>, on Sunday created history by going forward to secure the <keyword id="2224199" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="highest-margin">highest margin</keyword> of victory in an assembly election when her margin crossed 60,000 votes. The final tally is yet to come as counting of votes has entered the last round at the <keyword id="1964291" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mattanur">Mattanur</keyword> assembly constituency in Kannur district. The ruling Left led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is on course to create history by becoming the first government to retain power and the latest is they are leading in 100 seats out of the 140 seats in the <keyword id="124963" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala-assembly">Kerala Assembly</keyword>. She should consider herself lucky that she lost the 2011 <keyword id="6372725" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="assembly-polls">assembly polls</keyword> because the CPI-M, this time had come out with a guideline, while selecting the candidates, all those who have had a successive two terms will not be considered for the April 6 assembly polls. The CPI-M appears to have rewarded her efforts in tackling the state's various health issues with utmost ease and won accolades from across the globe, especially when she handled the Nipah outbreak and also the now raging Covid pandemic. This time she was moved out from Kuthuparambu assembly constituency in Kannur district which she won in 2016 with a margin of 12,291 votes to the Mattanur constituency also in the same district, which is considered as one of the safest and strongest constituency of the party. At the 2016 polls, the seat was won by the number 2 in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet- E.P. Jayarajan with a staggering margin of 43,381 votes, which was the second highest margin of victories and the highest for any CPI-M candidate in the state. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/final-tally-of-suvendu-adhikari-mukul-roy-rajiv-ghosh-and-other-ex-tmc-leaders-who-fought-on-bjp-ticket/articleshow/82354609.cms">These 13 former TMC leaders got tickets from BJP – only four of them are leading</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/bjp-is-now-leading-on-four-of-the-twenty-seats-it-contested-in-tamil-nadu/articleshow/82354058.cms">BJP is now leading on four of the twenty seats it contested in Tamil Nadu</a>

Kerala minister Shailaja makes history by crossing the margin of 60,000 votes

<ul><li><keyword id="107980" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ASANSOL">Asansol</keyword> and Durgapur will go to vote in the phase 4 of the general elections. </li><li>From Asansol, there’s star studded fight between <keyword id="6721" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="babul-Supriyo">Babul Supriyo</keyword> (BJP) and <keyword id="24743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Moon-Moon-sen">Moon Moon Sen</keyword> (TMC). </li><li>In Durgapur, BJP is trying hard to win a seat with party stalwart SS Ahluwalia. </li></ul>As India begins its fourth phase of polling, two of not just <keyword id="6357783" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword> but India’s earliest industrial destinations head to vote. Asansol and Durgapur, the cities which still hold memoirs from the old school British era, used to be the economy’s powerhouses on their own. The cities are home to two steel plants of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) – Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) and IISCO Steel Plant (ISP), and a subsidiary – Alloy Steel Plant in Durgapur – some of the oldest steel plants and largest manufacturers of steel in the country. IISCO is the country’s oldest integrated steel plant. The SAIL plants have been the focus of modernization in the state. But the Indian government had <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/govt-shelves-plan-for-strategic-sale-of-sails-durgapur-alloy-steels-plant-3540461.html">plans</a> to sell the Alloy Steel Plant as a part of a strategic disinvestment. However, the sale has currently been deferred. As economic fortunes fade, the highlight of the 2019 election in this industrial belt, with joblessness and hopelessness, is the clash between two spent stars from the film world. In Asansol, incumbent MP Babul Supriyo from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/moon-moon-sen-repeat-her-bankura-magic-in-asansol_in_5cc28f66e4b0817069670e75">won</a> by a majority of 70,000 votes, this time faces Bengal’s favourite – Moon Moon Sen from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). TMC has <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-asansol-lok-sabha-constituency-candidates-for-2019-ls-poll-past-results-all-updates-2743974">never</a> won a seat from Asansol. Sen, who entered politics during the last general elections in 2014, had defeated CPI(M)’s Basudeb Acharia from Bankura, a constituency from where Acharia had won 9 times. Meanwhile, in Durgapur the sitting MP from TMC Mamtaz Sanghamita faces a tough competition from SS Ahluwalia, BJP’s long standing leader who currently has a seat in the Lok Sabha from Darjeeling. And there’s also a lot at stake. Asansol has been a victim of communal violence, after riots erupted in March 2018 on Ram Navami. Even today, the violence is at the <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/communal-divide-to-the-fore-in-asansol/article26960631.ece">core </a>of political campaigning in the city. The other issue that bothers the region is jobs. Illegal mining, which is common in the area, has been put to a stop during the elections, putting thousands of miners out of jobs. According to a <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/with-curb-on-illegal-mining-out-of-job-miners-in-west-bengal-mull-nota-119042800233_1.html">PTI report</a>, these miners will be voting NOTA as a sign of protest. Sail’ing in history Famous for being the industrial zones of West Bengal, the two cities, which are less than 50 kilometres away from each other, house two steel plants of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) – Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) and IISCO Steel Plant (ISP). And they are rich in history too. Queen Elizabeth had visited the Durgapur Steel Plant in 1961. While the Durgapur Steel Plant has a production capacity of 1.8 Million Ton Per Annum (MTPA), the IISCO Steel Plant has a capacity for production of 4.26 lakh tonnes of saleable steel and 2.54 lakh tonnes of pig iron annually, according to the official website. From then to now, the two steel plants have been a part of many historical things in India – including being one of the biggest suppliers of steel to the defence in India. The Durgapur steel plant recently made <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/sail-supplies-steel-for-indian-armys-dhanush/articleshow/68809831.cms">news</a> for supplying steel to the Indian army to make the first homegrown artillery gun Dhanush. Asansol and Durgapur are also home to many other private industries’ manufacturing units. In 2007, Asansol also found mentions in multiple global reports to be named one of the fastest growing cities in the world. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-elections-2019-west-bengal-voting-begins/articleshow/68824684.cms">Elections 2019: Voting begins in West Bengal amid simmering communal tensions that have polarised the state’s population</a>

The clash of spent stars from the film world is the election highlight in a jaded industrial belt

Data from nine different elections show that Congress can be on the winning side but not the winner

New Delhi, Feb 1 () Describing the Union Budget as "insipid" and one that is "all talk and nothing concrete", Opposition parties on Saturday said it does not address the key issue of unemployment or suggest ways to fuel investment to spur economic growth.
While the Congress alleged that the reduction in tax rates did not help the salaried class who have to pay more under the new slabs, the Left parties said it is a "budget of privatisation" and accused the government of abdicating its responsibilities.
Former prime minister Manmohan Singh said the budget speech was "too long" and Trinamool Congress alleged that the government was lying on tax cuts and one should read the fine print on the so-called IT cuts, as government has removes incentives.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the budget offered no strategic idea or anything concrete and left the issue of unemployment unaddressed, while former finance minister P Chidambaram gave it a score of zero to one out of 10 and asserted that the Modi government has given up on reviving the economy, accelerating growth or creating jobs.
"The main issues confronting this country today are unemployment and the situation as far as the economy is concerned. I did not see any concrete idea, any strategic idea that would help our youngsters get jobs. I saw a lot of tactical stuff, redundant things, I did not see any central idea," Gandhi told reporters.
"I did not find any strategic thing in it. The main issue is employment and economy. There is redundancy and income tax has been complicated instead.
"The government's approach is visible in this budget. It did not have anything in it. It was hollow," he said.
Gandhi said the budget describes the government quite well, which is of "all talking" and nothing concrete. "A lot of repetition, a lot of rambling, nothing concrete. So it is the mindset of the government - all talk, all talk, all talk, nothing happening. But, the country is, of course, is suffering," he said.
Congress leader and senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the "budget is insipid, lacking in stimulus for growth" and has no clear roadmap for job creation.
The party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the new tax slab for salaried people is "simply 'labyrinth' to mislead people". "Actually, under the new tax slab, people will have to pay more tax than in the old tax slab," he claimed.
At the opposition party's press conference, Chidambaram said the government's claim of 6 to 6.5 per cent growth next year is "astonishing and even irresponsible".
Asked what rating he would give to the budget on a scale of 1 to 10, he took a dig, saying "10 has got a 1 and 0, you can pick either of a number. I am okay with it".
He accused the government of being in "complete denial" about the economy facing a "grave macro economic challenge" and there's nothing in the Budget that leads one to believe that growth will revive in 2020-21.
"It was a laundry list of old (that is current) programmes," he said.
If the ongoing programmes have failed the people, how can throwing more money into the ongoing programmes change anything, he asked.
"The government has given up on reviving the economy or accelerating the growth rate or promoting private investment or increasing efficiency or creating jobs or winning a greater share of world trade," he said.
The Indian economy is demand-constrained and investment-starved, and the finance minister has not acknowledged these two challenges, and "that is a pity", he said.
He asked how one could call it a budget about caring the society when food and fertilizers subsidies have been reduced. "I think this talk about caring society is more words than deeds. Once we drill into the numbers, we will know how caring they are or how uncaring they are."
Slamming the budget's proposal to sell a part of the government's share in LIC, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC president Mamata Banerjee on Saturday described it as a plan to "ambush" the legacy of public institutions.
"I am shocked and appalled to see how the central government plans to ambush the heritage and legacy of public institutions. It's the end of sense of security. Is it also an end of an era?" the CM tweeted.
CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury criticised the budget, saying it did nothing to alleviate "people's miseries".
"The less you have to say longer will be the speech. The budget has completely failed to address the current economic slowdown. It does not have a road map on how the economy can be turned around," he said.
"Just platitudes and slogans. Nothing substantial to alleviate peoples' misery, the growing unemployment, rural wage crash, farmers' distress suicides and galloping prices," he said.
CPI general secretary, D Raja said that said that the Union Budget was a budget exposed how the government is abdicating all its responsibilities by privatising public assets.
"This budget is a budget for privatization and everything is to be done using PPP route including railways, health and infrastructure," he said.
"No hope to be seen in the budget for the millions of unemployed youth of the country," he said.
The All India Forward Bloc said that the budget was "an offer to sell India" and said it includes large scale privatization and disinvestment of national assets.
Opposition leader Sharad Yadav said the economic growth is at a low of 4.5 per cent and the issue of unemployment has become grave but the budget offers nothing to tackle these problems.
It does not touch on the issues like farmer suicides, poverty, rising inflation, cases of bank frauds, he said, demanding that Sitharaman should "apologise" for "ruining" the economy. SKC ASK ASG KR SKC ABH
ABH

Oppn dubs budget as insipid, slams govt for 'all talk, nothing concrete'

142 million voters go to polls today in 20 states—  here’s a look at the key issues in every state

<ul class="generic-article__summary--ul content--ul"><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress woos Kolkata’s Chinese community as it faces a tough fight from Narendra Modi’s BJP</li><li class="generic-article__summary--li content--li">Though they do not have the numbers to influence government policy, the head of the Chinese Indian Association says voting is an important activity if you want to feel part of a country</li></ul> Restaurateur Monica Liu, 66, is an ethnic Chinese but has lived in the Indian city of Kolkata all her life. She and her family are among the estimated 6,000 Indian citizens of Chinese origin living in the country – with about 5,000 of them living in Kolkata, many with Hakka heritage. They are mostly descendants of those who fled to India in the middle of the 19th century to escape turmoil caused by the clash between British forces and Qing dynasty troops known as the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2075509/dark-legacy-britains-opium-wars-still-felt-today-amid-fight-against" class="link-text">Opium Wars</a> and the bloody rebellion against dynasty known as the Taiping Uprising. The Chinese community has long been marginalised by Indian authorities despite their presence for over 200 years. Those of Chinese origin born before 1950 cannot get Indian citizenship, leaving them holding on to Chinese and British passports while some have ended up being stateless after deciding not to renew their temporary resident permits. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010741/indian-election-explained-how-narendra-modis-good-days-turned" class="link-text">Indian election: how Modi’s ‘good days’ turned bad </a></h3>But for those who are citizens, more have decided to participate in politics after community leaders began mobilising people to get their voter identity cards in the last two decades, said Bean Ching Law, president of the Chinese Indian Association. Kolkata voters will go to the ballot booth on Sunday, the last day of polling in <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010741/indian-election-explained-how-narendra-modis-good-days-turned" class="link-text">India’s mammoth six-week general election</a> . In recent weeks, election wall graffiti in Chinese, requesting votes for the candidate of the Trinamool Congress party (TMC), appeared on the walls of Kolkata’s Chinatown in the Tangra district. Trinamool runs the state government in West Bengal, where Kolkata is situated.SUBSCRIBE TO THIS WEEK IN ASIA Get updates direct to your inbox Members of the community say it’s the first time they’ve seen this sort of outreach to them. Most think that it is an extension of the Trinamool’s grass roots-level growth in the state. After all, no one from the party has approached the elders of the Chinese community for votes. Also, Kolkata North, the constituency within which the Chinatown falls, will see tough fight between the candidates of the TMC and <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/narendra-modi" class="link-text">Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s</a> Bharatiya Janata Party, making every vote a crucial one for either side.A history of exclusion Law, a 49-year-old entrepreneur, has fought for the rights for the Chinese community since his return from the US in 2007. One of his strategies has been to attempt to obtain Overseas Indian Citizenship (OCI) for those born before 1950. The OCI, which gives foreign citizens permission to work and live in India indefinitely, will help such individuals avoid having to spend around US$156 annually to renew a permit allowing them to stay in the country. “However, these applications were rejected [by authorities] saying those individuals never showed the need to become an Indian citizen,” he says. “This is false: people applied for passports in the 1960s and were rejected outright. In fact, it was this rejection letter that helped them get other countries’ passports.” Law has been encouraging the community to vote. “Voting is the most important activity if you want to feel part of a country. It differentiates you from a person from another country. It is a sign that you belong here…..For any other Indian, why is it important to vote? The same reasons apply to us,” he said. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3010707/india-elections-bjp-may-need-allies-narendra-modi-drove-away" class="link-text">BJP may need the allies Modi drove away </a></h3>But he is pragmatic, pointing out that they do not have the numbers to influence government policy, even about themselves. “[This is the] weakness of democracy as far as microscopic minorities are concerned. Democracy is always about the majority; the minuscule minority is dirt,” he said. For Liu, the memory of how her family was snatched from their homes and thrown in prison for five-and-a-half years after the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1452590/1962-sino-indian-war-still-stirs-bitter-controversy" class="link-text">Sino-Indian war</a> , remains.The clash between tens of thousands of Indian and Chinese troops took place between October and November 1962, after a series of border incidents sparked by India’s decision to grant asylum to the Dalai Lama after a failed Tibetan rebellion against Chinese rule. China declared a ceasefire on November 19 but that was when the danger began for India’s ethnic Chinese residents. Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, greets her supporters in Kolkata. Photo: Reuters Liu recalls how her mother saw it coming, her intuition sharpened by listening for Japanese bomber aircraft and running for cover in her village in southern China during the Second World War. “She packed bags full of clothes for each of my siblings and tasked me with equipping them with the bags, when the police came for us,” Liu said. It was 5am when the police knocked on the door and explained that all ethnic Chinese were being rounded up, days before India’s Parliament passed a law that allowed the detention of people assessed to be “of hostile origin”. The Indian government has never released the numbers, so estimates on the number of detainees vary: of the roughly 40,000 Chinese-origin individuals in India at the time, between 3,000 and 10,000 were detained, although no one was successfully prosecuted. Mass deportations to China and migrations to countries like Canada, the US and Australia, mostly from the affluent members of community who were Hakka, followed the detentions. Liu’s family was offered deportation to China soon after internment but her father chose to remain in India. “My mom wanted to go. My daddy didn’t want to. Dad said, “I have nobody in China. When I go back, what will I do?,”she said. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3009682/exploiting-islamophobia-election-winning-tool-india" class="link-text">Exploiting Islamophobia: an election-winning tool in India </a></h3>Indian filmmaker Rafeeq Ellias compared the Chinese internment in India to when Americans of Japanese origin were detained during the Second World War. “People have not even spoken about their experiences even to their own children,” said Rafeeq, who made a documentary, The Legend of Fat Mama, about Kolkata’s Chinese community in 2005. Ellias has also written about the need for the Indian government to acknowledge the internment. The Japanese Americans documented their experience and were able to obtain an apology from the US government. The ethnic Chinese in India have been unable to do that. “They have been so marginalised and so few in number and the young people have all migrated at the first opportunity,” he says. “They don’t even have a sense of history or continuity.” Sinking roots But things could be changing. Singapore-based Rinkoo Bhowmick, who founded the CHA project, said she saw younger ethnic Chinese choosing to remain in India instead of migrating to countries like Canada, the US and Australia because the economy was doing well. The CHA project has been attempting a revival of Kolkata’s Old Chinatown in the Tiretta Bazaar area, which is where the first migrants settled, before pollution regulations forced the creation of a New Chinatown in 1910 in Tangra, about 7km away. The project plans to transform the Old Chinatown into a vibrant public space through events and heritage conservation. “The decision of these youngsters to stay back should eventually give rise to a sense of belonging,” Bhowmick said. Others like Thomas Chen, 42, joint secretary of the Indian Chinese Association (ICA), one of the many organisations for ethnic Chinese, have been working to promote Chinese culture and heritage among Indian society. Chen speaks with pride of teaching a contingent of the Indian Army a Mandarin song about friendship. <h3 style="margin-bottom: 2.35714rem; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 300; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.42857rem; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; display: inherit;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2104347/imagine-what-china-and-india-can-do-together" class="link-text">Imagine what China and India can do together </a></h3>“I also wrote a Chinese song on the Mid-Autumn Festival for the Indian Chinese Association. It was telecast twice last year on China Central Television.” The now-defunct project of the ICA, which has only 10 members, also saw the association organise Chinese-language classes for Indian companies Tata Iron and Steel, and Infosys. Robert Hsu, secretary of the ICA, said he knew of community members who were uncomfortable at how the Indian media took a jingoistic line on the 2017 <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/china-india-border-dispute" class="link-text">border stand-off between the armies of India and China</a> . Indian soldiers wanted China to stop construction of a road extension project in a location claimed by its ally Bhutan as well as Beijing.But Hsu pointed to the organisation’s name and said it served to show that for India’s ethnic Chinese, “it has always been about being Indian first”. Indian PM Narendra Modi at an election rally in Mathurapur, south of Kolkata. Photo: AP For Monica Liu, who now owns five busy restaurants in Kolkata, the state came knocking at her door again some years back but it was for a more pleasant reason: the then-chief minister of West Bengal wanted to dine at one of her eateries. Asked about her feelings about India and her identity, Liu offered a food analogy. “People always ask me: is your food Chinese Indian or Indian Chinese,” she says. “I reply that my food is exactly Chinese. Is there Indian masala in my food? No. The only thing is that we add more of some ingredients to enhance the flavour for the Indian customer.” Her Chinese identity is rooted in India, she continued. “Indian people have never asked me whether I am Chinese. But I am asked this when I visit China. I tell them that I am Chinese, my parents were from China, I was born and brought up in India, I am doing in business in India and my features are Chinese. I then tell them they shouldn’t be asking me that question,” she said.

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