No one willing to rent a house to Mamata Banerjee-challenger Chandra Bose

KOLKATA: Chandra Bose, the BJP challenger to CM Mamata Banerjee in her Bhawanipore constituency, is desperately looking for space to set up an election office. He has so far failed to find one. Home owners are scared to rent out space to him fearing TMC reprisal, Bose has alleged.

Forced to operate out of a cramped room in BJP’s zonal office in south Kolkata, Bose says this shows how TMC terrorizes locals. “We need a bigger space. The existing o f -fice is small, can’t accommodate more than 4-5 people. Campaign material is dumped in the room. There’s barely space to sit,” he says. Every time Bose or Nitin Patel, president of BJP Bhawanipore Mandal approach a landlord, they’re turned down. “They tell us local TMC netas won’t like it. We’re told once we leave, they’ll have to face the music,” Bose says.

Before embarking on a campaign march, Bose and party workers struggle to coordinate the procession from the tiny room. Not just BJP, other opposition parties too are being denied office space in the constituency, Bose alleges.

One of his Facebook posts reads: “TMC goons threaten people they’d be beaten up the moment central forces leave if they give space to any party other than TMC.” Bose has shifted his precampaign meetings to his residence. “I have no choice,” he says.