TMC moves Election Commission over Abhijeet Ganguly's controversial remarks on CM

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay, accusing him of making disparaging and misogynistic remarks about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The TMC is demanding legal action against Gangopadhyay, a former high court judge and BJP candidate for Tamluk, for his comments during a campaign rally in East Midnapore's Chaitanyapur.

Gangopadhyay allegedly questioned Mamata Banerjee's "price" and made derogatory comments about her gender. "Trinamool says (BJP's Sandeshkhali candidate) Rekha Patra was bought for Rs 2,000. So, Mamata Banerjee, what is your price, Rs 10 lakh?" Gangopadhyay reportedly said. He further insinuated that Banerjee's appearance was due to using Keya Seth makeup products.

"Is that because you use Keya Seth make-up (alluding to a personal care products brand)? And Rekha Patra can be bought for Rs 2,000 because she works in households? How can a woman denigrate a woman so much?" the former judge said.

State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya condemned Gangopadhyay's remarks, stating, "He has crossed all limits of decency with his choice of such utterly derogatory words. People have stopped regarding you (Gangopadhyay) as a human being. We do not believe that such words can be used by a decent person."

Further clarifying that their initial comments she says, "Nobody (from Trinamool) has said Patra and others were bought for Rs 2,000. We said they were misled, given Rs 2,000 and made pawns in a political conspiracy."