Former Indian speedster Ashok Dinda’s new innings from Moyna as BJP candidate

Kolkata: Moyna assembly constituency in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal this time will witness tough fight between BJP’s new entrant Ashok Dinda, one of the most consistent quick bowlers in Indian domestic cricket for the past one-and-a-half decade, and Trinamool Congress’ Sangram Kumar Dolai, who has been a sitting legislator since 2016.

Congress candidate Manik Bhowmik is also in the fray. Incidentally this time CPI(M) has alliance with Congress and newly launched Indian Secular Front (ISF).

On February 2 this year, Dinda called it a day on his international career after having represented India in 13 ODIs and nine T20Is where he managed to register 12 and 17 scalps respectively.  He has also played in the Indian Premier League, turning out for teams like Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils and Pune Warriors.

Dinda joined the BJP on February 24 in the run up to the West Bengal assembly elections

“I feel blessed to announce that I have been given an opportunity by @BJP4India to serve the people of this state. I would want to thank @narendramodi Ji, @AmitShah Ji, @SuvenduWB Dada and the entire team for showing faith in me,” the former cricketer tweeted after his induction.

“When I hung up my cricket boots, then only I joined politics. I wish to dedicate 12-15 hours of my day to the public which is why I have retired. It is not that I will run away after taking votes,” he added.

The Moyna seat is currently held by Trinamool Congress’s Sangram Kumar Dolai. In 2016, Mr Dolai won the seat by defeating Manik Bhowmik from Indian National Congress with a margin of 12124 votes.

In 2011, the seat was retained by the TMC. The party had fielded Bhushan Chandra Dolai against Sk Mujibur Rahaman of the CPI(M). Rahaman was the runner-up after losing the electoral battle by a margin of 9,957 votes.

Moyna Assembly constituency is falling under Tamluk Lok sabha constituency. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress candidate Dibyendu Adhikari won from Tamluk Lok Sabha (MP) Seat with the margin of 190165 votes by defeating Sidharthasankar Naskar from Bharatiya Janata Party.

“Moyna is a crucial seat. TMC has won it in the last elections. I belong to Moyna and all the people love me here and I am from the same community and have also represented India.  We will surely defeat them. In the last 10 years, TMC has done nothing for the people. I have seen people crying. There is no relief, no infrastructure and people do not even get their daily wages despite working,” Dinda said after nominated by BJP from this seat.

“The health facilities in Moyna are really in bad shape. People of this area face a lot of difficulties in case of a health issue, and have to either go to Tamluk or Kolkata for treatment,” he said.

Dinda also wants to improve English medium education in Moyna and plans to establish a school-cum-sports academy in the district.

The former cricketer wants to generate employment for over 40,000 migrant workers from Moyna.

“If I can generate employment for them by establishing industries here, I can turn the constituency into “Sonar Moyna” like Modiji’s vision of Sonar Bangla (golden Bengal),” he said.

Moyna assembly constituency will go to polls in the second phase on April 1. (UNI)