Ex-justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay holds court in Bengal seat

THE Lok Sabha election in Tamluk constituency in Purba Medinipur district is two months away (May 25), but on Wednesday, as BJP candidate Abhijit Gangopadhyay came to offer prayers at a Kali Mandir in Mahishadal area, he didn’t want for a crowd.

The former Calcutta High Court judge who resigned, joined the BJP and got a ticket, all within days, has swapped his black gown for the unofficial uniform of his new role – a white kurta-pajama with a jacket – with equal ease.

Detractors would say Gangopadhyay has been readying for this transition for long, with his interventions in court often seen as hewing close to the BJP’s anti-corruption campaign against the ruling Trinamool Congress, and inviting attacks by the latter. If those questions pertaining to his judicial career, or the propriety of his making the jump to politics, still hang over the former judge, there are few signs of it this hot Wednesday.As the 61-year-old steps out of his vehicle to enter the temple, a group of supporters comprising mostly women shower him with floral petals, blow conch shells and jostle to take selfies with the “anti-corruption hero”. During his rounds of the constituency, he is stopped several times by people seeking to shake hands or to garland him.

Obliging everyone and revelling in the spotlight, Gangopadhyay tells The Indian Express: “This initial response indicates that the other candidates in the seat will forfeit their deposits… Even ordinary people and bystanders are coming to meet us. There is a zeal to bring about a change in Bengal. I feel that the foundation to end corruption in the state will be laid in these Lok Sabha polls.”

Tamluk is considered a safe seat for Gangopadhyay, being the backyard of Suvendu Adhikari, a former TMC