BJP slams Mamata govt after names of Trinamool leaders' relatives figure in 'tainted' candidates list

Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS) The BJP on Sunday slammed the Mamata government after the names of Trinamool Congress leaders' relatives figured in the "tainted candidates" list published by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

Following the release of the list, the BJP slammed the Mamata government for taking so long to publish the list.

Taking to his X handle, Union Minister of State for Education and DoNER, Sukanta Majumdar said, "After a long drama, the West Bengal School Service Commission was finally forced to publish the list of 'tainted ineligibles' on the orders of the Supreme Court."

He questioned when the list was ready, then why it was not published during the hearings of the Single Bench, Divisional Bench of the Calcutta High Court or later in the Supreme Court?

After the Supreme Court directed that the list should be published within seven days, West Bengal SSC, within the deadline set by the court, published the list on Saturday evening, naming 1,804 candidates along with their roll numbers.

The list includes the name of Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Ghosh's daughter-in-law, Shampa Ghosh. There is also the name of Shamsuddin Ahmed, who is close to state minister Sabina Yasmin. Shamsuddin's wife is also a member of the Zilla Parishad.

The list names Bibhas Malik, who is a Trinamool leader from Khanakul in Hooghly district. Bibhas' wife, Santoshi Malik's name also figured in the list.

Another name is Priyanka Mondal, daughter of the Trinamool Congress leader of the Hingalganj area in North 24 Parganas district. The name of Namita Adak, wife of Naimul Haque, another Trinamool leader from the Khanakul area, also figured in the list.

The name of the arrested Education Minister Partha Chatterjee's aide, Sahina Sultana, also figured in the list. She is a member of the Hooghly Zilla Parishad. The list also mentioned the name of Kuheli Ghosh, who is a Trinamool Congress councillor of Rajpur-Sonarpur Municipality in South 24 Parganas district.

Following such revelations, Sukanta Majumdar, former West Bengal BJP president, said, "Only the SSC can certify who is eligible and who is not eligible."

The Trinamool Congress, meanwhile, tried to distance itself from the development.

Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee said the ineligible had got jobs through Suvendu Adhikari, who was with the Trinamool Congress till 2020, before defecting to the BJP.

"The list includes not only Trinamool but also many BJP names. Suvendu Adhikari has done it all. What happened in East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Bankura and Murshidabad districts, wherever Suvendu Adhikari was given the charge to work for the TMC when he was with us," said Banerjee.

Fresh SSC recruitment exams are scheduled to be held on September 7 and 14.

The Supreme Court had ordered that 'tainted and ineligible' candidates will not be able to appear for the exam.

--IANS

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