Second Trinamool Congress MLA dies of coronavirus in Bengal

 

Second Trinamool Congress MLA dies of coronavirus in Bengal

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of East Midnapore MLA Samaresh Das. Samaresh Das' demise leaves an irreparable void in Bengal politics. I express my solidarity with the family of Samaresh Das,” said Mamata Banerjee.

Biswabrata Goswami

Hummingbird News      

MIDNAPORE, 17 AUG: Samaresh Das (77), a Trinamul Congress controversial leader and legislative member from Egra in East Midnapore, died at a hospital in Salt Lake in the early hours of Monday around a month after he had tested Covid-19 positive on 18 July.

Das is the second Trinamul Congress legislative member to die of the raging viral infection that had earlier claimed the life of three-time party legislator and treasurer Tamonash Ghosh (60) in June.

In a tweet on Monday morning, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee condoled the death of MLA Samaresh Das.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of East Midnapore MLA Samaresh Das. Samaresh Das' demise leaves an irreparable void in Bengal politics. I express my solidarity with the family of Samaresh Das,” said Mamata Banerjee.

Das, who was close to the veteran Trinamul Congress leader and MP from Contai Sisir Adhikari, had tested Covid-19 positive on 18 July and he was admitted to the Barama Covid hospital in Mecheda. He was also suffering from comorbidities along with coronavirus.

On 25 July, he was shifted to a private hospital in Salt Lake, when his health condition had worsened and since then he was on a ventilator support. He passed away around 4.15 am today.

In 2009, when Sisir Adhikari after leaving his own assembly territory- Egra won the parliamentary seat from Contai, contested from Egra assembly constituency and subsequently won the by- poll. Since then, he consecutively won the two assembly polls held in 2011 and 2016. Before joining Trinamul Congress in 2008, he was a prominent CPI-M leader.

But, this year in January, Das had shared a dais with the BJP state president Dilip Ghosh in a programme and he was openly criticized by his own party leaders for sharing dais with a saffron leader. Later, he was show-caused by the party for violating party’s discipline and he expressed his displeasure over this matter. Since then he kept himself inactive, sources said.

A poll of gloom descended soon after the death news reached Egra and political leaders and workers rushed to his house to express mourn.