Bengal has an anti-BJP political space: Singhvi

Congress Rajya Sabha candidate from West Bengal Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday thanked Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for backing him and said he was happy to be nominated from a state which has an "anti-BJP political space".

Addressing reporters after a meeting with state Congress legislators, Singhvi said: "The arithmetic, history and geography of this state politically shows a huge anti-BJP commonality.

"I am from Rajasthan. But if I am requested to move out of Rajasthan, then I will always want to contest from a land which is the birthplace of Aurobindo, Tagore, Ram Mohan Roy."

"I would like to thank the state's ruling party, and, specially its president and (West Bengal) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he said.

Singhvi said he would "definitely call on her to thank her".

"When I go to meet her will be decided later. But since she has extended support to me, it is my duty to call on her and thank her," he said.

Announcing the names of Trinamool Congress candidates for the elections, Banerjee on Friday said her party would support Singhvi for the fifth seat from the state.

"We will support Abhishek Manu Singhvi of the Congress for the fifth Rajya Sabha seat from Bengal. He fought many cases for us," she had said after the party's extended core-committee meeting here.