Barasat: TMC’s Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar To Face Accused Drug Smuggler Swapan Majumder From BJP (image-Facebook/Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has nominated the three-time MP Kokila Ghosh Dastidar from the Barasat Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. She will be contesting against the BJP”s Swapan Majumder, the sitting MLA of Bangaon Dakshin constituency, who is allegedly accused of being involved in an international drug smuggling ring and was also subsequently arrested in 2017.

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is a vocal critic of the ruling party. During the discussion on the women”s reservation bill in the lower house, the TMC leader accused the BJP of not having a single woman in the position of Chief Minister despite being in power in 16 states on its own or with allies. She also accused the party of being in power for over nine years and only thinking of bringing the bill on women”s reservation in the last year of its second term, ahead of the elections.

Also a gynaecologist by profession, she has been vocal about the party’s lack of action against BJP member Brij Bhushan, accused of sexually assaulting wrestlers, and raised questions as to why the party did not demonstrate “genuine respect for women” by acting against its own MP, as quoted by ANI.

Notably, in 2012, in the Park Street rape case, the TMC leader rubbished the rape complaint by dubbing it as a case of misunderstanding between a “woman and her client.” She alleged that the incident at Park Street was not a rape at all, leaving the victim appalled and disgusted at the politicians’ remark, according to the Times of India.

With a connection to West Bengal and Indian politics and government for three generations, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar’s maternal grandfather worked as the postmaster general of the state. Gurudas Dasgupta, her maternal grandfather, was also a member of the Indian Parliament. Arun Moitra, her paternal grandfather, was a freedom fighter and a former Pradesh Congress President. Her husband, an IVF specialist, Dr. Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar, had served as the Minister for Environmental Affairs in the state government as well.

The TMC MP got her medical degree from R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, and pursued her postgraduate training in obstetric ultrasound at King’s College London.

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has successfully won the last three general elections from the Barasat Lok Sabha seat with a significant majority each time. In 2019, she secured 6.4 lakh seats, while the BJP”s Dr. Mrinal Kanti Debnath won 5.3 lakh seats, coming in second.

The Barasat constituency comprises Vidhan Sabhas, including Habra, Ashoknagar, Rajarhat New Town, Bidhannagar, Madhyamgram, and Deganga – all segments under the TMC flag. As per the 2011 census, the constituency has a population of 25.82 percent Muslim voters, 21.7 percent SC voters, and 2.6 percent ST voters.