Amit Mitra: Industry job to bitter initiation

“Dr Upen Biswas (former CBI officer) and I have been targeted because we are the two most high-profile candidates fielded by Mamata Banerjee,” says Mitra,contesting from Khardah. In fact,Biswas has been singled out by Deb as the only one among 226 candidates who has not accepted “Rs 15 lakh black money” from Trinamool leader Mukul Roy.

Deb,the CPM’s key campaign manager,said in a recent TV interview he considered Mitra a bhadraloker chele,or gentleman’s son,“who has had meetings with Manmohan Singh”. “Wasn’t he ashamed to take Rs 15 lakh from the party’s black money ?” Deb said,alleging Mitra opened an account the day after the dole and deposited Rs 7 lakh.

Mitra has refused to sling mud back at Deb. “These are signs that the ground below his feet has been shaken. It is an act of desperation,forcing him to target two of the most high-profile candidates fielded by Mamata Banerjee,” he says.

“As far as poll funding and expenses are concerned,my finance manager submits reports to the Election Commission. Every account is transparent. If Deb has any evidence of money laundering against me,he should move the Election Commission,” Mitra says.

Deb has threatened to just that. Roy,for his part,has already moved a defamation case against Deb.

Mitra says party workers collected money from voters as subscription and he got the money deposited into his election account. “I have deposited Rs 2.5 lakh myself and the rest has been collected from voters of Kharda as subscription. I opened my account on April 7 and the next day I deposited the money as it is the EC rule. Had I not deposited the cash into the election account they could have raised questions,” he says.

“Everything is completely transparent. Nobody can point a finger at me if I get the finance portfolio after we are voted to power,” he adds.

With his nomination,he says,“I produced documents for each paisa I have. I submitted details of my provident fund as a professor. Nobody files these details. My finance manager submits reports everyday.”

Mitra says he could have attacked CPM leaders if he wished. “From my sources I have learnt that Asim Dasgupta (minister and CPM candidate for the seat) has spent Rs 6.5 lakh in Khardah while I have spent Rs 4.5 lakh. I too could have questioned where my opponent got his money from,but I will not stoop to their level,” he says.

“The CPM is scared that the Khardah seat is slipping away. During the parliamentary election the Trinamool’s Saugata Roy swept the votes here; in the municipality polls Trinamool won the Kharda civic body.”