Howrah: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee with Vaishali Dalmiya, daughter of Jagmohan Dalmiya and cricketer turned politician Laxmi Ratan Shukla during an election campaign in Howrah of West Bengal on March 20, 2016. (Photo: IANS)
Kolkata, April 7 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday shared the stage during an election rally with convicted legislator Sohrab Ali of her Trinamool Congress, and claimed he has been "framed" by the CPI-M.
Ali, representing Raniganj assembly constituency in Burdwan district, was convicted for a 1995 theft case and sentenced to two years imprisonment by a court on September 8 last year. He is now out on bail after appealing to a higher court.
"Poor Sohrab, he could not contest this time. There is a court case," Banerjee said at the meeting in Raniganj.
The Trinamool supremo said the case was filed during the rule of the CPI-M-led Left Front.
"The case was not filed during our rule, but during the tenure of the CPI-M. The CPI-M had framed him," she said.
Banerjee said that since her party respected the judiciary, it has nominated Ali's wife Nargis Banu.
Ali was convicted under the Railways Property Act.
He was booked in 1995 after some railway property was recovered from his premises.
